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. 2016 Nov;111(11):692-696.
doi: 10.1590/0074-02760160256. Epub 2016 Oct 13.

Hepatitis E virus infection in patients with acute non-A, non-B, non-C hepatitis in Central Brazil

Nara Rubia de Freitas  1 , Edna Braz Rocha de Santana  1 , Ágabo Macedo da Costa E Silva  1 , Sueli Meira da Silva  1 , Sheila Araújo Teles  2 , Noemi Rovaris Gardinali  3 , Marcelo Alves Pinto  3 , Regina Maria Bringel Martins  1
Affiliations

Hepatitis E virus infection in patients with acute non-A, non-B, non-C hepatitis in Central Brazil

Nara Rubia de Freitas et al. Mem Inst Oswaldo Cruz. 2016 Nov.

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.

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