title: Genetic characteristics and pathogenicity of human hepatitis E virus in Nanjing, China.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the genetic characteristics and pathogenicity of hepatitis E virus (HEV) and assess the potential risk factors for sporadic hepatitis E.
  
  
  METHODS
  Sixty-two serum samples from the patients with acute hepatitis E were collected, including 23 cases coinfected with hepatitis B virus. Anti-HEV detection and partial HEV RNA amplification were performed by enzyme immunoassays and reverse transcription-nested polymerase chain reaction (RT-nPCR) method, respectively, and PCR products were sequenced. The isolated human HEV sequences were analyzed phylogenetically.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The positive rate of serum HEV RNA were 21.0% (13/62), including 5 cases of liver failure. All the 13 isolates shared a 82.1%-98.0% nucleotide homology with each other and had identities of 74.7%-81.0%, 75.3%-78.6%, 75.3%-80.0% and 82.1%-96.1% with the corresponding regions of HEV genotypes 1-4, respectively. The human HEV strain GS-NJ-12 shared a 100% nucleotide identity with the swine HEV strain swIM6-43 isolated from Inner Mongolia, China.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Swine may be a principal risk factor for occurrence of sporadic hepatitis E in eastern China, and genotype 4 HEV can induce acute liver failure.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Liver Disease, Nanjing Bayi Hospital, Nanjing 210002, Jiangsu Province, China.
authors.forename: Jia-Bao
authors.initials: JB
authors.lastname: Geng
authors.forename: Mao-Rong
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Ling
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Jie
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Zhi-Guo
authors.initials: ZG
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.forename: Yan
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Cheng
authors.forename: Fei
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Qiao
authors.forename: Min
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Wang
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000818:Animals; D002681:China / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D016751:Hepatitis E / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000662:veterinary / Q000821:virology; D016752:Hepatitis E virus / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics* / Q000472:pathogenicity*; D006801:Humans; D017093:Liver Failure / Q000209:etiology / Q000821:virology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010802:Phylogeny; D012367:RNA, Viral / Q000097:blood; D012307:Risk Factors; D013552:Swine; D013553:Swine Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000821:virology; D055815:Young Adult; D015047:Zoonoses / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000821:virology
chemical_list: D012367:RNA, Viral