ANTIBODY TO HEPATITIS-E VIRUS IN HIV-INFECTED INDIVIDUALS AND AIDS PATIENTS

Antibody to hepatitis E virus of IgG class (anti-HEV IgG) is regularly detected in industrialized countries, where HEV is non-endemic, at le vels not exceeding 2-3%; seropositive individuals are often found in c ertain groups of patients and professionals exposed to an increased ri sk of blood-borne infections. The present study was aimed at the ident ification of anti-HEV IgG in patients with human immunodeficiency viru s (HIV) infection, including acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS ), living in Russia and Belarus, an area of low anti-HEV prevalence wi th a moderate spread of HIV infection and AIDS. In Russia, 13 out of 1 17 HIV-infected patients (11.1%) were found to be anti-HEV seropositiv e. This differed significantly from the frequency observed in the norm al population (1.7%) but not from the frequency in a matching control, high-risk group consisting of male prisoners (8.0%). No difference in the frequency of anti-HEV IgG seropositivity was found between groups of HIV-infected men subdivided by sexual orientation. The rate of ant i-HEV seropositivity increased with the progression of HIV infection, reaching 43.3% in AIDS patients and 38.1% in those who died from AIDS. In Belarus, anti-HEV IgG seropositivity was not found among 20 HIV-in fected subjects nor among individuals from the control risk group, whi ch consisted of 25 intravenous drug users. In conclusion, HEV infectio n may have common transmission mechanisms (risk factors) with HIV infe ction rather than represent an additional opportunistic infection in A IDS.