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The occurrence of hepatitis E virus (HEV) in patients with Schistosomiasis mansoni (SM) is still poorly understood in Brazil. The objective of this study was to estimate the seroprevalence of anti-HEV IgG in patients with SM and its association with the periportal fibrosis (PPF), assessed by serum markers and ultrasound criteria. This cross-sectional study was carried out in an endemic area in Pernambuco, Brazil, with schistosomal patients who underwent coproscopic survey. Anti-HEV antibody IgG were evaluated by using ELISA (Euroimmun®, Lübeck, Germmany). In positive cases, HEV-RNA was tested by using real-time PCR. Among the 286 patients (60.8% women; 56% 18–44 years), 116 (40.6%) had advanced PPF (Niamey pattern D/E/F). Anti-HEV IgG was positive in 15 (5.24%), and all were HEV-RNA negative. Anti-HEV IgG was more frequent in patients with an advanced PPF (D/E/F) pattern (p = 0.034) and those with the largest spleen diameter (p = 0.039). In this study, the occurrence of anti-HEV IgG in patients with SM was higher than described in the same region and more frequent among patients with evidence of advanced liver fibrosis.

Aim. Evaluate specific immunogenic activity of a prototype vaccine against hepatitis E (HE). Materials and methods. Non-linear mice, male (n=170), were immunized once intraperitoneally by a prototype vaccine against HE at 5,10 and 20 pg per animal. Anti-HEV IgG were determined by ELISA using species-specific conjugate at days 7,14,21 and 28 after immunization. Experimental samples of the vaccine preparation containing 20 pg of the antigen and compositions of adjuvants based on aluminium hydroxide and immune modulators polyoxidonium and glutoxim were administered to 250 mice split into 25 groups (10 animals per group) to optimize vaccine immuno-genicity. Anti-HEV were determined in mice sera samples at day 28 after the immunization, and mean immunization dose (Ш50) for each composition of the vaccine preparation was calculated. Results. Increase of immunogenicity for the same standard antigen dose (20 pg) for glutoxim adjuvant at 10 mg/ml in aluminium hydroxide solution (0,5 mg/ml) was 51.4%. A non-significant increase of immunogenicity was also observed for vaccine composition with polyoxidonium (1.0 mg/ml), however, it was statistically non-significant when compared with standard adjuvant (aluminium hydroxide at 0,5 mg/ml). Conclusion. The data obtained give evidence regarding high immunogenicity of the vaccine preparation against hepatitis E. Use of glutoxim immune modulator in the composition of the experimental vaccine against hepatitis E ensures highest immunogenicity.

Background: There are only few reports about travel-associated, imported tropical hepatitis E virus (HEV) genotype 1 infections within Western travellers. We describe the clinical course of a single outbreak of hepatitis E in a German travellers group returning from India and compare the results of two commercial HEV-seroassays. Material and Methods: After identifying hepatitis E in an index patient returning from a journey to India all 24 members of this journey were tested for anti-HEV-IgG and IgM using two commercial seroassays (Wantai and Mikrogen), for HEV-RNA by PCR and HEV-Ag by an antigen-assay (Wantai). Results: 5/24 (21%) individuals were viraemic with viral loads between 580-4,800,000 IU/mL. Bilirubin and ALT levels in these patients ranged from 1.3-14.9 mg/dL (mean 7.3 mg/dL, SD 5.6 mg/dL) and 151-4,820 U/L (mean 1,832U/L, SD 1842U/L), respectively and showed significant correlations with viral loads (r = 0.863, p < 0.001; r = 0.890, p < 0.001). No risk factor for food-borne HEV-transmission was identified. All viraemic patients (5/5) tested positive for anti-HEV-IgG and IgM in the Wantai-assay but only 4/5 in the Mikrogen-as-say. Wantai-HEV-antigen-assay was negative in all patients. Six months later all previously viraemic patients tested positive for anti-HEV-IgG and negative for IgM in both assays. However, two non-viremic individuals who initially tested Wantai-IgM-positive stayed positive indicating false positive results. Conclusions: Despite the exact number of exposed individuals could not be determined HEV genotype 1 infections have a high manifestation rate of more than 20%.The Wantai-antigen-test failed, the Wantai-IgM-rapid-test and the Mikrogen-IgM-recomblot showed a better performance but still they cannot replace real-time PCR for diagnosing ongoing HEV-infections.

Aim. Frequency of detection determination for past and current hepatitis E virus (HEV) infection markers in children with immune suppression, as well as children with normal immune status. Materials and methods. The presence of HEV markers (anti-HEV IgG and IgM, HEV RNA) was studied in 609 sera samples of children with neurologic pathologies, 87 samples - from children with immune deficiencies, as well as 3122 samples from conditionally healthy children of 6 regions of Russia. The children were divided into 5 age groups. Anti-HEV IgG and IgM determination was carried out in EIA, HEV RNA - by RT-PCR. Results. The frequency of detection of anamnestic anti-HEV IgG turned out to be significantly higher among immune-compromised children compared with healthy children (5.7% against 1.4%, p

We investigated prevalence of hepatitis E virus in a sample of the population of Israel. The overall seroprevalence of antibodies to the virus was 10.6% (95% CI 8.4%–13.0%); age-adjusted prevalence was 7.6%. Seropositivity was associated with age, Arab ethnicity, low socioeconomic status, and birth in Africa, Asia, or the former Soviet Union.