Detection of hepatitis E virus RNA and genotype in Bangladesh.
OBJECTIVE
Hepatitis E virus (HEV) in Bangladesh has not been adequately documented. We report HEV RNA and genotype detection in Bangladesh.


METHODS
In total, 82 samples were used; 36 sporadic acute hepatitis (AH), 12 fulminant hepatitis (FH), 14 chronic liver disease (CLD) and 20 from an apparently healthy population (HP) positive for both immunoglobulin (Ig) M and IgG specific anti-HEV antibodies (anti-HEV). The male/female ratio was 61/21, ages 12-67 (mean 30.4) years. RNA was extracted, transcribed to cDNA and amplified in nt 6345-6490 (ORF2) of HEV. Nucleic and amino acid sequences were determined. Homology comparison between Bangladesh clones and other representative HEV clones and phylogenetic tree analyses were done. Relations between HEV RNA-positivity and clinical factors were analyzed.


RESULTS
HEV RNA was positive in 9/36 (25.0%) of AH cases, 4/12 (33.3%) FH, 3/14 (21.4%) CLD and 0/20 (0%) HP samples; total 16/82 (19.5%). Four factors correlated significantly with HEV RNA-positivity (Mann-Whitney U test); alanine aminotransferase (ALT) (P = 0.0229), aspartate aminotransferase (AST) (P = 0.0448), and titers of IgG (P = 0.0208) and IgM (P = 0.0095) specific anti-HEV. The 16 HEV clones were divided mainly into two groups, A and B, including six different cDNA sub-groups.


CONCLUSIONS
HEV RNA was found in sporadic AH and FH and sub-clinical CLD cases, but not in HP. HEV RNA-positivity was significantly related to values of ALT and AST and titers of IgG and IgM specific anti-HEV, with IgM specific anti-HEV showing the most significant relationship. All clones were genotype I, which is prevalent in South Asia.
Sugitani
Masahiko
M
Department of Pathology, Nihon University School of Medicine, 30-1 Oyaguchi-Kamimachi, Itabashi-ku, Tokyo 173-8610, Japan. sugitani@med.nihon-u.ac.jp
Tamura
Akinori
A
Shimizu
Yohko K
YK
Sheikh
Aleemuzzaman
A
Kinukawa
Noriko
N
Shimizu
Kazufumi
K
Moriyama
Mitsuhiko
M
Komiyama
Kazuo
K
Li
Tian-Cheng
TC
Takeda
Naokazu
N
Arakawa
Yasuyuki
Y
Suzuki
Koyu
K
Ishaque
Shamsuddin M
SM
Roy
Projesh K
PK
Raihan
A S M A
AS
Hasan
Mahmud
M
D000208:Acute Disease; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D001459:Bangladesh / Q000453:epidemiology; D001483:Base Sequence; D002648:Child; D002908:Chronic Disease; D005260:Female; D005838:Genotype; D006508:Hepatitis Antibodies / Q000097:blood; D016751:Hepatitis E / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000821:virology; D016752:Hepatitis E virus / Q000235:genetics* / Q000276:immunology; D006801:Humans; D007074:Immunoglobulin G / Q000097:blood; D007075:Immunoglobulin M / Q000097:blood; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D010802:Phylogeny; D012367:RNA, Viral / Q000097:blood*; D055815:Young Adult
D006508:Hepatitis Antibodies; D007074:Immunoglobulin G; D007075:Immunoglobulin M; D012367:RNA, Viral