title: Hepatitis E virus infection in the HIV-positive patient.
abstract: Hepatitis E virus (HEV) is a RNA virus that can cause hepatitis. In immunocompetent individuals, infection with HEV usually leads to asymptomatic seroconversion. However, in immunosuppressed patients, such as transplant recipients, HEV can develop into a chronic infection. Studies regarding the seroprevalence and clinical implications of HEV in patients infected with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) are conflicting. Levels of CD4 count in blood seem to be the most widely associated risk factor, while other factors such as meat consumption or proximity to animals are less clearly associated with HEV infection. Progression to chronicity, as well as extrahepatic manifestations of HEV seem rare in HIV, and the implications of HEV in liver disease progression are poorly understood in the HIV-infected. In this review we describe the epidemiology, risk factors, and clinical implications of HEV infection in individuals infected with HIV.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, United States, United States. Electronic address: debes003@umn.edu.
authors.forename: Jose D
authors.initials: JD
authors.lastname: Debes
authors.affiliation: Instituto de Virología "Dr. J. M. Vanella" Facultad de Ciencias Médicas, Universidad Nacional de Córdoba, Argentina.
authors.forename: Maria Belen
authors.initials: MB
authors.lastname: Pisano
authors.affiliation: Instituto de Virología "Dr. J. M. Vanella" Facultad de Ciencias Médicas, Universidad Nacional de Córdoba, Argentina.
authors.forename: Martin
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Lotto
authors.affiliation: Instituto de Virología "Dr. J. M. Vanella" Facultad de Ciencias Médicas, Universidad Nacional de Córdoba, Argentina.
authors.forename: Viviana
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Re
mesh_terms: D018791:CD4 Lymphocyte Count; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000150:complications* / Q000276:immunology; D016751:Hepatitis E / Q000453:epidemiology*; D006801:Humans; D016867:Immunocompromised Host; D012307:Risk Factors; D016036:Seroepidemiologic Studies
keywords: CD4 counts; HIV; Hepatitis E virus; Risk factors