Screening, diagnosis and risks associated with Hepatitis E virus infection.

: Hepatitis E virus (HEV) is the main cause of hepatitis worldwide. Our knowledge of this single-strand positive-sense RNA virus, discovered in the 1980s, has improved greatly in recent years. : We review the most recent information on diagnostic tools, including serological and molecular assays, the recommended diagnostic algorithm, and the clinical manifestations of HEV infections.

[Acute hepatitis E infection associated with Guillain-Barré syndrome in an immunocompetent patient].

Introduction: Hepatitis E virus (HEV) infection is now recognized to be an emerging autochthonous disease in several countries. There have been several reports of neurological manifestations associated with HEV infections. Immunocompromised patients seem to be particularly vulnerable.

Multicenter quality control of hepatitis C virus protease inhibitor resistance genotyping.

Hepatitis C virus (HCV) protease inhibitor resistance-associated substitutions are selected during triple-therapy breakthrough. This multicenter quality control study evaluated the expertise of 23 French laboratories in HCV protease inhibitor resistance genotyping. A panel of 12 well-defined blinded samples comprising two wild-type HCV strains, nine transcripts from synthetic NS3 mutant samples or from clinical strains, and one HCV RNA-negative sample was provided to the participating laboratories.

Hepatitis E.

Hepatitis E virus (HEV) was discovered during the Soviet occupation of Afghanistan in the 1980s, after an outbreak of unexplained hepatitis at a military camp. A pooled faecal extract from affected soldiers was ingested by a member of the research team. He became sick, and the new virus (named HEV), was detected in his stool by electron microscopy.

Hepatitis E virus: what transplant physicians should know.

Hepatitis E virus (HEV) infection is an underdiagnosed disease in the developed world. In pediatric and adult organ transplant patients HEV infection can cause chronic hepatitis, which can lead to cirrhosis. Extra-hepatic manifestations, such as neurological symptoms and kidney injury, have been also reported in transplant patients.

Hepatitis E virus and the kidney in solid-organ transplant patients.

Background: Hepatitis E virus (HEV) infection is an emerging disease in industrialized countries. Few data regarding genotype 3 HEV extrahepatic manifestations exist.

Methods: We assessed kidney function and histology in solid-organ transplant patients during HEV infection.

Hepatitis E virus antibodies in blood donors, France.

Using a validated sensitive assay, we found hepatitis E virus (HEV) IgG in 52.5% of voluntary blood donors in southwestern France. This finding suggests HEV is highly endemic to this region.

Hepatitis E virus infection without reactivation in solid-organ transplant recipients, France.

Infections with hepatitis E virus (HEV) in solid-organ transplant recipients can lead to chronic hepatitis. However, the incidence of de novo HEV infections after transplantation and risk for reactivation in patients with antibodies against HEV before transplantation are unknown. Pretransplant prevalence of these antibodies in 700 solid-organ transplant recipients at Toulouse University Hospital in France was 14.

JC virus DNA in the peripheral blood of renal transplant patients: a 1-year prospective follow-up in France.

There is little information on JC virus (JCV) infection in renal transplant patients. A long-term prospective follow-up study was conducted to assess the incidence of JCV DNA in the blood of 103 adult renal transplant patients enrolled prospectively between 1 January and 31 December 2006. Patients were monitored until April 2008.

Characteristics of autochthonous hepatitis E virus infection in solid-organ transplant recipients in France.

Background: Hepatitis E virus (HEV) infections can lead to chronic hepatitis in immunocompromised patients. We have investigated the risk factors for HEV infection among solid-organ transplant recipients and the characteristics of these infections.

Methods: We performed serological tests, quantified the virus, and genotyped the virus in plasma samples.

New NS5B polymerase inhibitors for hepatitis C.

Importance Of The Field: The current treatment of chronic hepatitis C based on the combination of pegylated interferon and ribavirin is effective in only 50% of patients. Specific targeted antiviral therapies represent a promising approach to eradicate the infection.

Areas Covered In This Review: This review focuses on progress towards the development of the hepatitis C virus (HCV) polymerase inhibitors that have entered clinical development in recent years.

Influence of the HCV subtype on the virological response to pegylated interferon and ribavirin therapy.

The hepatitis C virus genotype is considered to be the most important baseline predictor of a sustained virological response in patients with chronic hepatitis C treated with pegylated interferon and ribavirin. The influence of the subtype on the sustained virological response was investigated in patients infected with genotypes 1, 4, 5, or 6. This study was done on 597 patients with chronic hepatitis C who were given pegylated interferon and ribavirin for 48 weeks.

Naturally occurring substitutions conferring resistance to hepatitis C virus polymerase inhibitors in treatment-naive patients infected with genotypes 1-5.

Background: The hepatitis C virus (HCV) RNA-dependent RNA polymerase, NS5B, is essential for virus RNA replication. It is thus an attractive therapeutic target. Several compound nucleoside analogues, non-nucleoside inhibitors and cyclosporine analogues are being developed to inhibit NS5B activity.

Good performance of immunoglobulin M assays in diagnosing genotype 3 hepatitis E virus infections.

We have evaluated three anti-hepatitis E virus (anti-HEV) immunoglobulin M (IgM) assays, the EIAgen HEV IgM assay (Adaltis), the HEV IgM enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay 3.0, and the Assure HEV IgM rapid test (MP Diagnostics), for the routine detection of acute genotype 3 HEV. Their sensitivities were fairly good (90%, 88%, and 82%), and their specificities were excellent (100%, 99.

Hepatitis E virus genotype 3 diversity, France.

We characterized 42 hepatitis E virus (HEV) genotype 3 strains from infected patients in France in 3 parts of the genome and sequenced the full-length HEV genotype 3f genome found in Europe. These strains are closely related to swine strains in Europe, which suggests zoonotic transmission of HEV in France.

Laboratory evaluation of the UniCel DxI 800 analyser (Beckman Coulter) for detecting HBV and HCV serological markers.

Background: Due to their high prevalence, hepatitis B virus (HBV) and hepatitis C virus (HCV) infections need accurate and rapid diagnosis tools.

Objectives: Technical performances of the UniCel DxI 800 analyser (Beckman Coulter) and a comparison with the Vitros ECi (Ortho Clinical Diagnostics) were performed for five serological markers: HBsAg, total anti-HBc, anti-HBc IgM, anti-HBs and anti-HCV.

Study Design: Reproducibility was determined by repeated tests on the manufacturers' controls.

Molecular epidemiology and interferon susceptibility of the natural recombinant hepatitis C virus strain RF1_2k/1b.

Background: Hepatitis C virus (HCV) genotype is an important determinant of virological response to antiviral therapies. Currently, there are no data available on the molecular epidemiology and interferon susceptibility of the natural intergenotypic recombinant RF1_2k/1b (RF1) strain.

Methods: Genotyping and RF1-PCR screening were performed on samples from 604 HCV RNA-positive individuals from 7 countries.

Comparison of two highly automated DNA extraction systems for quantifying Epstein-Barr virus in whole blood.

Background: Optimal automated molecular methods are needed to monitor Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) infections in transplant recipients.

Objectives: To compare the extraction of EBV DNA from whole blood using the COBAS Ampliprep and the MagNA Pure instruments (Roche) for quantifying EBV DNA by real-time PCR.

Study Design: EBV DNA content was determined on clinical samples extracted by both systems.

Serum concentrations of ribavirin and pegylated interferon and viral responses in patients infected with HIV and HCV.

The hepatitis C virus (HCV) infects a substantial proportion of patients infected with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). Patients infected with both HCV and HIV respond poorly to anti-HCV treatment with pegylated interferon alpha and ribavirin. But few data are available on the influence of ribavirin and interferon concentrations on treatment outcome for these patients.

[Genotypic recombination and hepatitis C virus].

Hepatitis C virus (HCV) is an RNA virus, which belongs to the genus Hepacivirus within the Flaviviridae family. Recombinant viruses have been described in the three genera of this family. HCV is a highly variable virus, whose strains are classified among six genotypes.

High prevalence of anti-hepatitis E virus antibodies in blood donors from South West France.

Cases of autochthonous acute hepatitis E occur in most industrialized countries and are frequent in the South West of France. The prevalence of anti-hepatitis E virus (HEV) IgG antibodies in blood donors in this area was determined. A total of 529 samples from rural and urban blood donors were tested.

Full-length genome sequences of hepatitis C virus subtype 4f.

Hepatitis C virus genotype 4 (HCV-4) is very common in central Africa, prevalent in the Middle East, and is becoming increasingly frequent among southern Europeans. We have determined the complete nucleotide sequences of HCV-4f strains and investigated their phylogenetic relationships with other genotypes. We amplified the complete genome of two HCV subtype 4f strains, IFBT84 and IFBT88.