Hepatitis E virus antibodies in multiply transfused patients

Hepatitis E virus [HEW infection is the leading cause of enterically transmitted hepatitis worldwide. Transmission of infection is via fecal route but the possibility of transmission by blood has been suggested, Data concerning anti-HEV prevalence among children who are exposed to risk of parenteral transmission are few and giving conflicting results. The present work studied the presence of anti-HEV antibodies [IgG and IgM], HBsAg, anti-HCV IgG, anti-HIV antibodies, serum ALT, prothrombin concentration and albumin level in 30 hemodialyzed, 20 thalassemic, 20 hemophilic patients as well as 25 matched age and sex healthy children as controls. The rate of anti-HEVIgG in hemodialyzed, thalassemic and hemophilic patients was significantly higher [43.3%, 35%, 25% respectively] than controls [8%] p>0.001, [0.003, [0.02 respectively. There was a significant positive correlation between the duration of hernodialysis and the number of patients with positive anti-HEV IgG [r = 0.87, pc0.001]. The rate of anti- HEV IgM in the patients groups was significantly higher [20%, 10%, 5% respectively] than controls [0%] p>0.004, >0.001, [0.05 respectively. There was no significant correlation between the frequency of blood transfusion and HEV reactivity in the studied patients groups. The rates of HBV and HCV infections in the different groups of patients were significantly higher [20%, 10%, 5% and 26.6%, 20%, 15% respectively] than controls [0% and 5% respectively] p<0.001, [0.007, [0.05 and <0.001, [0.03, [0.03 respectively. There was no significant correlation between HEV infection and neither HBV nor HCV infections in the studied patients groups

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Conclusion: this study indicates a high prevalence of anti-HEV antibodies in multiply transfused children, carrying a possibility of parenteral transmission in endemic areas. However further larger scale technically supported studies are needed to exclude other possibilities