HEV Seroprevalence in Patients with HIV | CDC EID

EID Journal Home > Volume 17, Number 6–June 2011

EID Journal Home > Volume 17, Number 6–June 2011

Volume 17, Number 6–June 2011
Dispatch
Hepatitis E Virus Seroprevalence and Chronic Infections in Patients with HIV, Switzerland
Alain Kenfak-Foguena,1 Franziska Schöni-Affolter,1 Philippe Bürgisser, Andrea Witteck, Katharine E.A. Darling, Helen Kovari, Laurent Kaiser, John-Marc Evison, Luigia Elzi, Vanina Gurtner-De La Fuente, Josef Jost, Darius Moradpour, Florence Abravanel, Jacques Izopet,2 Matthias Cavassini,2 and the Swiss HIV Cohort Study
Author affiliations: Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Vaudois and Lausanne University, Lausanne, Switzerland (A. Kenfak-Foguena, P. Bürgisser, K.E.A. Darling, D. Moradpour, M. Cavassini); Data Center of the Swiss HIV Cohort Study, Lausanne (F. Schöni-Affolter); Cantonal Hospital St. Gallen, St. Gallen, Switzerland (A. Witteck); University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland (H. Kovari); University Hospital Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland (L. Kaiser); Inselspital Klinik und Poliklinik für Infektiologie, Bern, Switzerland (J.-M. Evison); Universitätsspital Klinik für Infektiologie, Basel, Switzerland (L. Elzi); Ospedale Civico Servizio Malattie Infettive, Lugano, Switzerland (V. Gurtner-De La Fuente); Klinik Im Park, Zurich (J. Jost); and Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Toulouse, Toulouse, France (F. Abravanel, J. Izopet)

Suggested citation for this article

Abstract
We screened 735 HIV-infected patients in Switzerland with unexplained alanine aminotransferase elevation for hepatitis E virus (HEV) immunoglobulin G. Although HEV seroprevalence in this population is low (2.6%), HEV RNA can persist in patients with low CD4 cell counts. Findings suggest chronic HEV infection should be considered as a cause of persistent alanine aminotransferase elevation.

Unexplained liver enzyme elevation is frequently encountered in HIV-infected persons (1). Hepatitis E virus (HEV) can cause deranged liver function. Chronic infection with HEV has been reported in patients with organ transplants, treated malignancies, and HIV infection (2–7).

full-text:
HEV Seroprevalence in Patients with HIV | CDC EID


Suggested Citation for this Article
Kenfak-Foguena A, Schöni-Affolter F, Bürgisser P, Witteck A, Darling KEA, Kovari H, et al. Hepatitis E virus seroprevalence and chronic infections in patients with HIV, Switzerland. Emerg Infect Dis [serial on the Internet]. 2011 Jun [date cited]. http://www.cdc.gov/EID/content/17/6/1074.htm

DOI: 10.3201/eid1706.101067



1These authors contributed equally to this article.

2These authors contributed equally to this article.


Comments to the Authors
Please use the form below to submit correspondence to the authors or contact them at the following address:

Matthias Cavassini, Infectious Diseases Service, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Vaudois, 1011 Lausanne, Switzerland; email: matthias.cavassini@chuv.ch