Hepatitis E virus infection in liver transplants: evaluation of antibody detection

Abstract

Hepatitis E Virus infection (HEV) affects more than 20 million patients yearly with 70000 associated deaths. Different genotypes are associated with more than one form of transmission, including fecal-oral route as well as contamination with animal meat, especially of swine origin. Clinical manifestations vary from asymptomatic infection to severe disease in pregnant women and immunosuppressed patients. In liver transplant patients infection may progress to chronicity with cirrhosis in different periods after transplantation. There are little data regarding HEV infection in the Brazilian and no information of such infection in the liver transplantation setting. The present study aims to assess the prevalence of anti-HEV antibodies (IgM and IgG) in both donors and receptors of liver transplantation. The study will prospectively collect blood samples from consecutive liver transplant patients at the Hospital Municipal Vila Santa Catarina - Dr. Gilson de C. Marques de Carvalho in Sao Paulo, Brazil for both antibody detection, RT-PCR for RNA amplification and HEV genotyping. All consecutive liver transplant patients older than 18 years and who formally consent to participate in the study during one year will be included. The main objective of the study is to assess the prevalence of HEV infection in liver transplant patients, both latent and primary infection, using antibody detection.