Exposure to hepatitis E virus in hemodialysis patients from west-central Poland

Hepatitis E virus (HEV) causes travel-related but also locally acquired infections in industrialized parts of the world, including European countries. Food and blood transfusions are possible sources of transmission. Infections caused by zoonotic variants of the virus (particularly HEV-3) may progress to chronic liver disease in a nonnegligible proportion of immunocompromised people. The aim of this study was to assess the prevalence of serological markers of HEV infection in 189 patients on renal replacement therapy (RRT, currently on hemodialysis, HD) living in west-central Poland and to determine the factors related to HEV exposure in this group. Testing was carried out using commonly used commercial assays (Wantai Biological Pharmacy Enterprise Co, Beijing, China). Anti-HEV IgG was detected in 94 patients (49.7%); none of the participants had anti-HEV IgM or HEV Ag. Patients on RRT (HD) for less than 6 months were significantly more likely to be anti-HEV IgG-positive than dependent of RRT (HD) for more than half a year (80% vs 47%; P = .014). Exposure to HEV in patients from west-central Poland is frequent, but no clear sources of this infection have been identified. There were no serological features of ongoing liver disease caused by HEV in the study subjects.