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Hepatitis E virus infection in patients with acute non-A, non-B, non-C hepatitis in Central Brazil
Freitas, Nara Rubia de; Santana, Edna Braz Rocha de; Silva, Ágabo Macedo da Costa e; Silva, Sueli Meira da; Teles, Sheila Araújo; Gardinali, Noemi Rovaris; Pinto, Marcelo Alves & Martins, Regina Maria Bringel
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 crosssectional
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.
Keywords
Hepatitis E virus; HEV; epidemiology; non-A, non-B, non-C hepatitis
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