Prevalence of SEN virus [SEN-V] infection among patients on maintenance hemodialysis in Egypt

ABSTRACT

Several lines of evidence have suggested the existence of new hepatitis agents, in addition to established hepatitis viruses A-E. before 1990, 10%-20% of patients with both transfusionassociated and community-acquired hepatitis tested were negative for known hepatitis viruses. Recently, a new family of single-stranded DNA viruses with hepatotropic properties was isolated and designated as SEN virus [SEN-V], after the initials of the infected patient. SEN virus isolates are genetically heterogenous and likely are members of TTV family Circoviridae. SEN virus-D and H [SENV-D,H] are most closely associated with transfusion-associated non AE hepatitis. High prevalence rates have been documented in patients undergoing surgery and/or blood transfusion and in patients had immunodeficiencies, sexually transmitted diseases, autoimmune disorders, HIV infections or who were injection drug users. The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of SEN virus infection in hemodialysis patients and in unpaid blood donors and comparing it to the prevalence of HBV and HCV infection, find out any possible association between SEN virus and HBV or HCV in hemodialysis patients. This study was conducted on 55 patients from hemodialysis unit, Ain Shams University hospitals and 25 unpaid blood donors as a control group. Serum samples were collected from all patients and controls and tested for alanine aminotransferase level [ALT]], HCV-Ab and HBsAg by ELISA, HCV-RNA by PCR for positive HCV-Ab cases and controls and SEN-V DNA by seminested polymerase chain reaction [PCR]. The present study detected SEN virus in 89.1% [49 out of 55] patients on hemodialysis versus 16% [4 out of 25] controls. The SENV-H was detected in a higher prevalence than SENV-D among both cases and controls as +ve SENV-H/SENV-D were 36/13 in cases while they were 3/1 in controls. We also detected high prevalence of HBsAg among cases +ve for SENV-H 31.3% while HCVAb and HCV RNA "detected by PCR" were more prevalent among SENV-D +ve cases "66.7% and 55.6% respectively". There was no statistically significant relation between SEN-V positivity and mean level of ALT or AST. We concluded that infection by SEN-V was not associated with clinical or biochemical signs of liver disease, even among HBV or HCV infected patients SEN-V infection was not linked with enhanced severity of hepatitis. So, at present, we do not regard it as necessary to dialyse SEN-V viremic patients on separate machines. Additional studies are needed to assess the medical importance of SENV infection