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Published on: June 26, 2020
Hepatitis E Virus in Individuals Undergoing Heparin Therapy: An Observational Serological and Molecular Study
João R Mesquita1,2,3, Sérgio Santos-Silva1, Nanci Ferreira4
1Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas Abel Salazar (ICBAS), Universidade do Porto, Porto, Portugal.
Introduction:
Heparin is derived from swine and has been suggested as a possible source of HEV. To study the potential risk of HEV infection associated with heparin treatment, two groups of individuals were compared. Sera from heparinized (N=93) and non-heparinized individuals (N=111) were tested for markers of acute HEV infection and anti-HEV IgG seroprevalence.
Methods:
An acute HEV case was defined by the presence of anti-HEV IgM and/or HEV RNA. From the 93 heparinized individuals, one was positive for IgM and IgG anti-HEV and two were positive for HEV RNA (for both ORF3 and ORF2), and there were a total of two (2.2%) cases of current or recent HEV infection. From the 111 non-heparinized individuals, three were positive for IgM anti-HEV, one was positive for both IgM and IgG anti-HEV, and none was positive for HEV RNA, and there were a total of three (2.7%) cases of current or recent HEV infection. The difference between HEV cases in the heparinized individuals and the non-heparinized individuals was not statistically significant (2.2% vs. 2.7%; p = 0.799).
Results:
Concerning IgG anti-HEV, it was detected in 32 individuals from the heparinized group and in 18 from the non-heparinized control group. A statistically significant difference was observed in the presence of anti-HEV IgG in heparinized individuals and controls (p = 0.003).
Conclusion:
This study has not found any association between heparin treatment and acute HEV infection, but has shown the use of therapeutic heparin as a risk factor for IgG anti-HEV seropositivity.
