title: Hepatitis E virus serum antibodies and RNA prevalence in patients evaluated for heart and kidney transplantation.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Acute hepatitis E virus (HEV) infection in solid organ transplant recipients is rare, but can cause severe hepatic and extrahepatic complications. We sought to identify the pretransplant prevalence of HEV infection in heart and kidney candidates and any associated risk factors for infection.
  
  
  METHODS
  Stored frozen serum from patients undergoing evaluation for transplant was tested for HEV immunoglobulin G (IgG) antibodies and HEV RNA. All patients were seen at Mayo Clinic Hospital, Phoenix, Arizona, with 333 patients evaluated for heart (n = 132) or kidney (n = 201) transplant. HEV IgG antibodies (anti-HEV IgG) were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, and HEV RNA by a noncommercial nucleic acid amplification assay.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The prevalence of anti-HEV IgG was 11.4% (15/132) for heart transplant candidates and 8.5% (17/201) for kidney transplant candidates, with an overall seroprevalence of 9.6% (32/333). None of the patients tested positive for HEV RNA in the serum. On multivariable analysis, age older than 60 years was associated with HEV infection (adjusted odds ratio, 3.34; 95% CI, 1.54-7.24; P = 0.002).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  We conclude that there was no evidence of acute HEV infection in this pretransplant population and that older age seems to be associated with positive anti-HEV IgG.
authors.affiliation: Mayo Clinic, Scottsdale, Arizona, USA.
authors.forename: Alberto
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Unzueta
authors.affiliation: Mayo Clinic, Scottsdale, Arizona, USA.
authors.forename: Riccardo
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Valdez
authors.affiliation: Mayo Clinic, Scottsdale, Arizona, USA.
authors.forename: Yu-Hui H
authors.initials: YH
authors.lastname: Chang
authors.affiliation: Mayo Clinic, Scottsdale, Arizona, USA.
authors.forename: Yvonne M
authors.initials: YM
authors.lastname: Desmarteau
authors.affiliation: Mayo Clinic, Scottsdale, Arizona, USA.
authors.forename: Raymond L
authors.initials: RL
authors.lastname: Heilman
authors.affiliation: Mayo Clinic, Scottsdale, Arizona, USA.
authors.forename: Robert L
authors.initials: RL
authors.lastname: Scott
authors.affiliation: Mayo Clinic, Scottsdale, Arizona, USA.
authors.forename: David D
authors.initials: DD
authors.lastname: Douglas
authors.affiliation: Mayo Clinic, Scottsdale, Arizona, USA.
authors.forename: Jorge
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Rakela
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005260:Female; D016027:Heart Transplantation; D006508:Hepatitis Antibodies / Q000097:blood*; D016751:Hepatitis E / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000821:virology*; D016752:Hepatitis E virus / Q000235:genetics* / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans; D016030:Kidney Transplantation; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D017720:Molecular Epidemiology; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D021141:Nucleic Acid Amplification Techniques; D016017:Odds Ratio; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D015995:Prevalence; D012367:RNA, Viral / Q000097:blood*; D012307:Risk Factors; D016036:Seroepidemiologic Studies; D015206:Southwestern United States / Q000453:epidemiology; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D006508:Hepatitis Antibodies; D012367:RNA, Viral