Prevalence of Hepatitis E During Follow-up Liver and Kidney Transplant Patients in Guadeloupe, French West Indies

Overview

Hepatitis E is well known to be a common cause of severe hepatitis on organ-transplanted people. However, several studies also show a risk of transition to a chronic state. It is necessary to carry out a preliminary study in order to determine the hepatitis E prevalence in the population of the French West Indies. The aim of our study is to make a systematic screening of the hepatitis E within this risk population; hepatic and renal transplanted people. Up to now, no severe hepatitis E case was reported in the French West Indies. We would like to know if the systematic screening will change or not, this assumption.

Hepatitis E virus (HEV) common cause acute hepatitis in transplant recipients but it may also be responsible of chronic liver disease. Actually there is not data about the prevalence of HEV Hepatitis in French West indies. In this study, we will aim to evaluate prevalence of HEV in patients with liver and kidney transplantation in Guadeloupe. Since 2000, we observe an increase of incidence in France. Hepatitis E is responsible for acute hepatitis, and it was previously believed that HEV cannot be developed to chronic hepatitis. However, more recent reports show that have shown that 6 to 15,6 % of kidney transplant patients are positive for anti-HEV IgG. In addition, studies have shown that HEV infection is commonly observed in patients with transplantation of solid organs such as kidney, pancreas and liver. Patients with organ transplantation are more susceptible to diseases caused by rare infectious viruses such as HEV ; thus, differential diagnosis of pathogens such as hepatitis E virus in transplant recipients is suggested to be applied according to the reports showing that there is a relatively rapid progression to cirrhosis and chronic hepatitis E in people who have had organ transplants. We estimate that 400 patients are followed in our center in Guadeloupe for kidney or liver tranplantation. In this study, we will aim to evaluate the prevalence of HEV in patients kidney and liver transplantation. We will perfom for each patient : HEV serology and HEV viral load by PCR.