title: Hepatitis E virus infection in patients with acute non-A, non-B, non-C hepatitis in Central Brazil.
abstract: Hepatitis E virus (HEV) infection has a worldwide distribution and represents an important cause of acute hepatitis. This study aims to investigate the occurrence of HEV infection and factors associated with this infection in patients with acute non-A, non-B, non-C hepatitis in Central Brazil. From April 2012 to October 2014, a cross-sectional study was conducted among 379 patients with acute non-A, non-B, non-C hepatitis in the City of Goiania, Central Brazil. Serum samples of all patients were tested for serological markers of HEV infection (anti-HEV IgM and IgG) by ELISA. Positive samples were confirmed using immunoblot test. Anti-HEV IgM and IgG positive samples were tested for HEV RNA. Of the 379 serum samples, one (0.3%) and 20 (5.3%) were positive for anti-HEV IgM and IgG, respectively. HEV RNA was not found in any sample positive for IgM and/or IgG anti-HEV. After multivariate analysis, low education level was independently associated with HEV seropositivity (p = 0.005), as well as living in rural area, with a borderline p-value (p = 0.056). In conclusion, HEV may be responsible for sporadic self-limited cases of acute hepatitis in Central Brazil.
authors.affiliation: Universidade Federal de Goiás, Instituto de Patologia Tropical e Saúde Pública, Goiânia, GO, Brasil.
authors.forename: Nara Rubia de
authors.initials: NR
authors.lastname: Freitas
authors.affiliation: Universidade Federal de Goiás, Instituto de Patologia Tropical e Saúde Pública, Goiânia, GO, Brasil.
authors.forename: Edna Braz Rocha de
authors.initials: EB
authors.lastname: Santana
authors.affiliation: Universidade Federal de Goiás, Instituto de Patologia Tropical e Saúde Pública, Goiânia, GO, Brasil.
authors.forename: Ágabo Macedo da Costa E
authors.initials: ÁM
authors.lastname: Silva
authors.affiliation: Universidade Federal de Goiás, Instituto de Patologia Tropical e Saúde Pública, Goiânia, GO, Brasil.
authors.forename: Sueli Meira da
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Silva
authors.affiliation: Universidade Federal de Goiás, Faculdade de Enfermagem, Goiânia, GO, Brasil.
authors.forename: Sheila Araújo
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Teles
authors.affiliation: Fundação Oswaldo Cruz, Instituto Oswaldo Cruz, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brasil.
authors.forename: Noemi Rovaris
authors.initials: NR
authors.lastname: Gardinali
authors.affiliation: Fundação Oswaldo Cruz, Instituto Oswaldo Cruz, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brasil.
authors.forename: Marcelo Alves
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Pinto
authors.affiliation: Universidade Federal de Goiás, Instituto de Patologia Tropical e Saúde Pública, Goiânia, GO, Brasil.
authors.forename: Regina Maria Bringel
authors.initials: RM
authors.lastname: Martins
mesh_terms: D000208:Acute Disease; D000328:Adult; D001938:Brazil / Q000453:epidemiology; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005260:Female; D006508:Hepatitis Antibodies / Q000097:blood; D016751:Hepatitis E / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000276:immunology; D016752:Hepatitis E virus / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans; D015151:Immunoblotting; D007074:Immunoglobulin G / Q000097:blood; D007075:Immunoglobulin M / Q000097:blood; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015995:Prevalence; D016036:Seroepidemiologic Studies; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D006508:Hepatitis Antibodies; D007074:Immunoglobulin G; D007075:Immunoglobulin M