Study of the hepatitis E virus in blood donors from Córdoba: serological and molecular prevalence
Abstract: Hepatitis E virus (HEV), which causes acute hepatitis, can progress to chronicity in immunosuppressed patients. Transfusion transmission has been reported, being asymptomatic carriers a virus reservoir and a potential threat to transfusion safety. In Argentina, HEV is not te...
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| Autores principales: | , , , , , , , |
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| Formato: | Artículo revista |
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Universidad Nacional Córdoba. Facultad de Ciencias Médicas. Secretaria de Ciencia y Tecnología
2021
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| Acceso en línea: | https://revistas.unc.edu.ar/index.php/med/article/view/35087 |
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| Sumario: | Abstract:
Hepatitis E virus (HEV), which causes acute hepatitis, can progress to chronicity in immunosuppressed patients. Transfusion transmission has been reported, being asymptomatic carriers a virus reservoir and a potential threat to transfusion safety. In Argentina, HEV is not tested in blood banks and its control is a matter of debate. Our objective was to determine HEV serological and molecular prevalence in blood donors from Córdoba.
Five hundred and forty-seven plasma samples from blood donors (229 women, 318 men; median age: 35 years), obtained between February and May 2016 (n = 147), 2019 (n = 200), and 2020 (n = 200) were analyzed. IgG and IgM anti-HEV detection were performed by ELISA, and RNA detection was carried out by real-time RT-PCR and nested-PCR. Statistical analyzes were performed using R3.6.3 (statistical significance of p <0.05).
The global prevalence of anti-HEV IgG was 3.7% (19/547), being similar in all years: 2.05% in 2016 (3/147), 3.50% in 2019 (7/200) and 4.50% in 2020 (9/200) (p=0,47). A greater trend in HEV seroprevalence was observed in men than in women (4.72 vs 1.75%, p=0.06), and an increase with age (p=0,07), without statistical significance. Two positive samples for anti-HEV IgG were also IgM positive (2/19, 10.53%). RNA-HEV was detected in 1/547 (0.18%) samples, which corresponded to a 37-year-old male donor, without liver signs or symptoms or serological evidence of infection.
The resulted seroprevalences were similar to those previously described in the general population, reporting the first molecular finding in blood donors from Argentina. The local molecular prevalence is within the range described (0.012% to 0.6%) in blood donors from other non-endemic countries, in which immunocompetent RNA-HEV positive donors without serological evidence of infection were identified, highlighting: 1) the existence of the potential risk of transfusion transmission, particularly important for immunosuppressed patients; 2) the detection of HEV-RNA as the best option for screening in blood banks, although this would imply a high cost (thus pooling could be an appropriate option for HEV screening); and 3) the importance of continue HEV hemovigilance.
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