HEPATITIS E: А NEW PROBLEM IN TRANSPANTOLOGY?

Abstract

Hepatitis E is enterically transmitted infection and is the cause of outbreaks and sporadic cases. Disease was originally registered only in the developing subtropical and tropical countries and has been connected with I or II genotypes of hepatitis E virus (HEV). Later sporadic hepatitis E has been registered in a number of the deve- loped countries of Western Europe, North America, South East Asia and Ocenia. These cases have been caused, as a rule, by III or IV genotypes of HEV. Until recently it was considered, that the disease is usually self-limited except pregnant women in which HEV infection is more severe, often leading to fulminant liver failure and death in a significant proportion of patients. The current review represents the analysis of publications of the last years reflecting the facts that HEV infection may develop in immunosuppressed patients, in particular in liver transplant recipients, who may then serve as long-term carriers of the virus with progression to cirrhosis. The information on the first attempts of antiviral therapy in these patients is presented.

Keywords

• hepatitis e
• organ transplantation
• liver cirrhosis