Rapid Communication
Copyright ©2008 The WJG Press and Baishideng. All rights reserved.
World J Gastroenterol. Jul 14, 2008; 14(26): 4204-4208
Published online Jul 14, 2008. doi: 10.3748/wjg.14.4204
Prevalence and clinical significance of SEN virus infection in patients with non A-E hepatitis and volunteer blood donors in Shanghai
Zheng-Hao Tang, Xiao-Hua Chen, Yong-Sheng Yu, Guo-Qing Zang
Zheng-Hao Tang, Xiao-Hua Chen, Yong-Sheng Yu, Guo-Qing Zang, Department of Infectious Diseases, Sixth People’s Hospital Affiliated to Shanghai Jiaotong University, Shanghai 200233, China
Author contributions: Tang ZH and Zang GQ contributed equally to this work; Tang ZH and Zang GQ designed the research; Tang ZH and Chen XH performed the research; Chen XH and Yu YS collected the blood samples; Tang ZH and Chen XH analyzed the data; Tang ZH and Chen XH wrote the paper
Correspondence to: Guo-Qing Zang, Professor, Department of Infectious Diseases, Sixth People’s Hospital Affiliated to Shanghai Jiaotong University, Shanghai 200233, China. zangguoqin@126.com
Telephone: +86-21-64369181
Fax: +86-21-64369181
Received: April 15, 2008
Revised: May 23, 2008
Accepted: May 30, 2008
Published online: July 14, 2008
Abstract

AIM: To explore the prevalence of SEN virus (SENV) in patients with non A-E hepatitis and volunteer blood donors in Shanghai.

METHODS: According to the published gene sequences, primers from the conserved region were designed. Then, the prevalence of SEN virus in 30 samples from healthy voluntary blood donors and 30 samples from patients with non A-E hepatitis were detected by nested-PCR of SENV-D/H. Some PCR products were cloned and sequenced.

RESULTS: The specificity of genotype-specific PCR was confirmed by sequencing, the SENV DNA was detected in 53.3% of the patients with non A-E hepatitis and 10% of the blood donors. The prevalence of SENV-D/H viremia was significantly higher in patients with non A-E hepatitis than in blood donors (P = 0.0002). SENV-H subtype and SENV-D subtype were found in 2 and 1 samples, respectively from blood donors. SENV-H subtype, SENV D subtype, mixed SENV-D and SENV-H subtype were found in 8, 6 and 2 samples, respectively, from patients with non A-E hepatitis.

CONCLUSION: The gene type of SENV in patients with non A-E hepatitis and blood donors in shanghai is D or H subtype, and transfusion is not the only transmitting form of SENV.

Keywords: SEN virus; Nested PCR; Blood donor; Non A-E hepatitis