title: Lack of evidence of hepatitis E virus infection among renal transplant recipients in a disease-endemic area.
abstract: Persistent hepatitis E virus (HEV) infection has been reported among solid-organ transplant recipients in nonendemic areas. Such chronic infections have all been related to genotype 3 HEV, which is prevalent in these areas. Whether persistent infection occurs with genotype 1 HEV, prevalent in areas where the infection is hyperendemic, is unclear. We therefore tested sera from renal transplant recipients receiving immunosuppressive agents in India, where genotype 1 HEV infection is endemic, for alanine aminotransferase levels, and presence of IgM and IgG anti-HEV antibodies and HEV RNA. Of the 205 subjects studied [aged 16-65 (median, 38) years, 182 male], 46 (22.4%) had abnormal ALT levels (>40 IU/mL). IgG anti-HEV was detected in 52 (20.5%) and IgM anti-HEV was detected in 14 (6.8%) subjects, including four who had IgG anti-HEV; antibody positivity had no relation with serum ALT or serum creatinine. All the sera tested were negative for HEV RNA. These findings suggest that chronic infection with genotype 1 HEV is infrequent.
authors.affiliation: Department of Gastroenterology, Sanjay Gandhi Postgraduate Institute of Medical Sciences, Lucknow, India.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Naik
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Gupta
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Goel
authors.forename: S K
authors.initials: SK
authors.lastname: Ippagunta
authors.forename: R K
authors.initials: RK
authors.lastname: Sharma
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Aggarwal
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000410:Alanine Transaminase / Q000097:blood; D005260:Female; D006508:Hepatitis Antibodies / Q000097:blood; D016751:Hepatitis E / Q000453:epidemiology*; D016752:Hepatitis E virus / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D006801:Humans; D016867:Immunocompromised Host; D007074:Immunoglobulin G / Q000097:blood; D007075:Immunoglobulin M / Q000097:blood; D007194:India; D016030:Kidney Transplantation / Q000009:adverse effects*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012367:RNA, Viral / Q000097:blood; D014180:Transplantation; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D006508:Hepatitis Antibodies; D007074:Immunoglobulin G; D007075:Immunoglobulin M; D012367:RNA, Viral; D000410:Alanine Transaminase