title: Prevalence of hepatitis E virus in Chinese blood donors.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the prevalence of hepatitis E virus (HEV) antibodies and RNA in voluntary blood donors, in China.
  
  
  METHODS
  Serum samples from blood donors were collected sequentially at six blood donation centres in five geographical regions of China. Donors were stratified between two groups according to their serum alanine aminotransferase (ALT) concentration (≤ 40 U/l and >40 U/l. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction were used to quantify anti-HEV antibodies and RNA, respectively.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In total, 21.1% (172/816) of donors were positive for anti-HEV immunoglobulin (Ig) G (elevated ALT samples group 18.9% [85/450]; normal ALT group 23.8% [87/366]), and 0.5% (four of 816) donors were positive for anti-HEV IgM (elevated ALT group 0.9% [four of 450]; normal ALT group 0% [none of 366]). The rate of anti-HEV IgG seropositivity was significantly higher in male than in female donors. No serum sample tested positive for HEV RNA.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The prevalence of anti-HEV antibodies in blood donors in China is high, regardless of ALT concentration.
authors.affiliation: Department of Blood Biochemistry, Institute of Blood Transfusion, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Chengdu, China.
authors.forename: Li
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Ma
authors.affiliation: Department of Blood Biochemistry, Institute of Blood Transfusion, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Chengdu, China.
authors.forename: Pan
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Sun
authors.affiliation: Department of Blood Biochemistry, Institute of Blood Transfusion, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Chengdu, China lfangzhao@126.com.
authors.forename: Fangzhao
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Lin
authors.affiliation: Department of Blood Components, Blood Centre of the Beijing Red Cross, Beijing, China.
authors.forename: Hongjie
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Department of Blood Components, Guangzhou Blood Centre, Guangzhou, China.
authors.forename: Xia
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Rong
authors.affiliation: Department of Blood Components, Blood Centre of the Nanjing Red Cross, Nanjing, China.
authors.forename: Yudong
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Dai
authors.affiliation: Department of Blood Components, Shanxi Blood Centre, Xian, China.
authors.forename: Jianqiang
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.affiliation: Department of Blood Components, Deyang Central Blood Station, Deyang, China.
authors.forename: Liqiong
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Qian
authors.affiliation: Department of Blood Components, Suzhou Central Blood Station, Suzhou, China.
authors.forename: Min
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Fang
authors.affiliation: Department of Blood Biochemistry, Institute of Blood Transfusion, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Chengdu, China.
authors.forename: Na
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Su
authors.affiliation: Department of Blood Biochemistry, Institute of Blood Transfusion, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Chengdu, China.
authors.forename: Wei
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Xiao
authors.affiliation: Department of Blood Biochemistry, Institute of Blood Transfusion, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Chengdu, China.
authors.forename: Shengliang
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ye
authors.affiliation: Department of Blood Biochemistry, Institute of Blood Transfusion, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Chengdu, China.
authors.forename: Changqing
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Li
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000410:Alanine Transaminase / Q000097:blood; D000914:Antibodies, Viral / Q000097:blood; D001782:Blood Donors; D005260:Female; D016751:Hepatitis E / Q000097:blood / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000276:immunology; D016752:Hepatitis E virus / Q000276:immunology; D006801:Humans; D007073:Immunoglobulin E / Q000097:blood; D007074:Immunoglobulin G / Q000097:blood; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015995:Prevalence; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D000914:Antibodies, Viral; D007074:Immunoglobulin G; D007073:Immunoglobulin E; D000410:Alanine Transaminase
keywords: Hepatitis E virus; alanine aminotransferase; anti-HEV antibodies; blood donors