Questo articolo documenta la possibilità di trasmissione attraverso le trasfusioni di sangue del virus dell’Epatite E. Questo virus non viene comunemente testato e pertanto sfugge ai test di screening trasfusionali e rappresenta un minaccia seria per la salute dei pazienti trasfusi.
Hepatol Res. 2014 Jul 17. doi: 10.1111/hepr.12390. [Epub ahead of print]
A rare case of transfusion-transmitted hepatitis E from the blood of a donor infected with the hepatitis E virus genotype 3 indigenous to Japan: Viral dynamics from onset to recovery.
Matsui T1, Kang JH, Matsubayashi K, Yamazaki H, Nagai K, Sakata H, Tsuji K, Maguchi H.
Abstract
AIM:
The transfusion transmission of hepatitis E can occur even in non-endemic areas in the world as autochthonous hepatitis E has been increasingly reported in developed countries where the hepatitis E virus (HEV) is not prevalent. We investigated the post-transfusion transmission of hepatitis E in a patient by molecularly confirming its presence, and characterized the viral kinetics of HEV in this case.
METHODS:
A Japanese man underwent re-thoracotomy for hemostasis followed by platelet transfusion. After the transfusion, the blood donor was found to be HEV-positive. The donated blood was re-examined and was found to contain HEV. Throughout the prospective follow-up of the patient, we analyzed the virus kinetics, chronological anti-HEV antibody level changes, and disease progression during the entire course of HEV infection from transfusion until the end of viremia.
RESULTS:
Sequence analysis of the strains isolated from both the donor and the patient who contracted acute hepatitis E showed an identical match for 326-nt in Open Reading Frame 1. Two strains belonged to HEV genotype 3 indigenous to Japan.
CONCLUSION:
To the best of our knowledge, this is the first detailed report on the entire natural course of hepatitis E from viral transmission, then clearance, to replication preceding liver injury caused by HEV genotype 3, which is responsible for autochthonous infection in developed countries. The findings provide valuable insights into the mechanism of the transfusion transmission of HEV and subsequent viral dynamics.