title: Serological and molecular study of hepatitis E virus among illegal blood donors.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the seroprevalence and molecular characteristics of hepatitis E virus (HEV) in the illegal blood donors (IBDs) of central China in the early 1990s.
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 546 blood samples were collected from the IBDs in Maanshan city, a questionnaire was completed by each subject, detailing the age, sex, and periods of blood or plasma donation. Anhui Province and tested for the anti-HEV antibodies. The seropositive samples were subjected to nested reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction and sequencing to analyze HEV partial genome.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The prevalence of IgG and IgM HEV antibody in IBDs was 22.7% and 1.8%, and genotype 4 was the dominant circulating HEV type in IBDs. The prevalence of anti-HEV IgG was significantly related to sex (OR = 4.905, P = 0.004) and increased with age (OR = 2.78, P = 0.022), which ranged from 13.0% in those < 40 years old to 30.6% among older persons aged > 60 years. Moreover, frequency of blood donation was significantly associated with HEV seropositivity (OR = 2.06, P = 0.006). HEV partial sequences of ORF2 and obtained 3 sequences in serum samples of 10 IBDs which developed HEV specific IgM.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study helps define one of the possible routes of transmission of sporadic HEV infection and provides guidance to screen HEV in the blood donors so as to guarantee safe blood banks in China.
authors.affiliation: Ma Anshan Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Maanshan 243000, Anhui Province, China.
authors.forename: Xian-Feng
authors.initials: XF
authors.lastname: Cheng
authors.forename: Yu-Feng
authors.initials: YF
authors.lastname: Wen
authors.forename: Ming
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Zhu
authors.forename: Sheng-Wei
authors.initials: SW
authors.lastname: Zhan
authors.forename: Jin-Xiu
authors.initials: JX
authors.lastname: Zheng
authors.forename: Chen
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Dong
authors.forename: Ke-Xia
authors.initials: KX
authors.lastname: Xiang
authors.forename: Xiao-Bing
authors.initials: XB
authors.lastname: Xia
authors.forename: Gang
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Ling-Fei
authors.initials: LF
authors.lastname: Han
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001771:Blood Banks / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence; D001782:Blood Donors; D002681:China / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D006508:Hepatitis Antibodies / Q000097:blood*; D016751:Hepatitis E / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000635:transmission* / Q000821:virology; D016752:Hepatitis E virus / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010802:Phylogeny; D012367:RNA, Viral / Q000097:blood; D016036:Seroepidemiologic Studies; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires
chemical_list: D006508:Hepatitis Antibodies; D012367:RNA, Viral