Abstract
BackgroundIn recent years chronic hepatitis E virus (HEV) infections have been reported in immunosuppressed patients, including HIV-positive patients with low CD4 cell counts. Because of delayed anti-HEV seroconversion in patients with CD4 cell count<200cells/ml it is difficult to draw firm conclusions on HEV-seroprevalence in a population of HIV positive patients. ObjectivesTo determine the HEV seroprevalence in a population of HIV infected patients. Study designWe retrospectively analysed the HEV prevalence in a population of 256 HIV infected patients with liver enzyme elevations (LEEs), using HEV specific antibody testing and HEV-RNA detection. ResultsWithin this cohort we observed a HEV-seroprevalence of 11.7%, without any anti-HEV IgM positive or HEV-RNA positive cases. HEV seropositivity was equally prevalent among different CD4+ cell count groups. ConclusionAlthough HIV infected patients in the Netherlands are at risk of acquiring HEV, the number of acute infections is low and no chronic cases were found.
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