Comparison of tests for antibody to hepatitis E virus.

The results of serologic tests for hepatitis E virus have varied widely from laboratory to laboratory, making interpretation of seroepidemiologic studies difficult. The present study compares serologic results with different antigens and tests developed in two laboratories for their ability to diagnose hepatitis E and measure antibody prevalence in a high risk population in Saudi Arabia. The results confirm that tests based upon open reading frame (ORF) 3 of HEV are of limited value for seroepidemiologic studies, whereas ORF2-based antigens have broad utility and yield data that are reproducible in more than one laboratory.