ABSTRACT
A significant number of acute non A to E hepatitis cases are reported in Thailand every year, and the etiologies of these cases are unknown. Members of the herpesviridae family have been reported to cause either a self limited or fatal hepatitis in a small proportion of patients in other parts of the world. To determine whether herpesviruses may play a role in acute non A to E hepatitis, sera from 32 acute hepatitis patients without markers for acute hepatitis A to E virus infection were examined for IgM to herpesvirus type 2 (HSV-2), cytomegalovirus (CMV), and Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) using commercially available assays. IgM to HSV-2 was detected in four sera, IgM to CMV was detected in one serum, and IgM to EBV was detected in one serum. All of the acute non A to E hepatitis patients recovered and none had underlying conditions associated with impaired immunity. These results suggest that herpesviruses should be considered in the differential diagnosis for Thai patients with hepatitis.
Subject(s)
Acute Disease , Adolescent , Adult , Cytomegalovirus Infections/diagnosis , Female , Hepatitis, Viral, Human/diagnosis , Herpes Genitalis/diagnosis , Herpesviridae Infections/diagnosis , Herpesvirus 2, Human/immunology , Herpesvirus 4, Human/immunology , Humans , Male , Middle Aged , Serologic Tests , ThailandABSTRACT
To better characterize the etiology of acute non-A, B, C hepatitis, 24 sera from 50 acute hepatitis without acute markers for hepatitis A, B, and C were examined for acute markers for the hepatitis E virus (HEV), cytomegalovirus (CMV), herpes simplex virus type 2 (HSV-2), and Epstein-Barr virus. Immunoglobulin M (IgM) specific for HEV, HSV-2, and CMV was detected using ELISA and total Ig specific to EBV was determined by standard indirect immunofluorescence. IgM to CMV was not observed in sera from any of the patients; whereas, IgM to HEV was detected in sera from 2 patients and IgM to HSV-2 was detected in 5 of 24 acute hepatitis patients. In addition, high titer of antibody was found in 2 of the patients. This results indicate that HSV-2 and HEV circulate in Thailand and are responsible for a small proportion of non-A, B, C hepatitis in Thailand.