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Updated: Feb 22, 2026
A Cell Culture Model for Producing High Titer Hepatitis E Virus Stocks
Published on: June 26, 2020
Chronic hepatitis E virus infection in a cirrhotic patient: A case report
Hugo Barragué1, Bertrand Condat, Nicolas Petitdidier
1Centre de Physiopathologie de Toulouse Purpan, INSERM U1043/CNRS UMR5282/Université Toulouse III Paul-Sabatier, Toulouse Hôpital Sainte Camille, Bry sur Marne Division of Hepatology, Centre Hospitalier de Hyères, Hyères Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Toulouse, Hôpital Purpan, Laboratoire de virologie, Centre National de Référence Hépatite E, Institut fédératif de biologie de Purpan, Toulouse, France.
Rationale:
Acute hepatitis E virus (HEV) infections are usually self-limiting in immunocompetent patients. HEV persistence has been described only in immunosuppressed patients such as solid-organ transplant recipients, patients with hematological diseases, or patients with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection.
Patient Concerns:
A 61-year-old patient was admitted in hospital for jaundice and asthenia.
Diagnoses:
The patient had underlying cirrhosis and developed a chronic HEV infection.
Intervention:
Ribavirin therapy was initiated.
Outcomes:
Ribavirin therapy for 12 months allowed the clearance of the virus and HEV viral load remained undetectable thereafter. This patient had taken no immunosuppressive drugs, was not suffering from any autoimmune disease and was not infected with HIV. We studied the patient's anti-HEV immune response months after the viral clearance. His peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) were stimulated in vitro by HEV peptides. The patient had a mild T lymphopenia, but polyclonal stimulation of PBMC showed a robust T cell response. The response of his anti-HEV specific interferon-γ producing T cells was low.
Lessons:
Other studies are now needed to identify the population with a chronic evolution of HEV infection despite no apparent immunodepression.
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