Seroprevalence of hepatitis E virus infection among institutionalized psychiatric patients in Taiwan

Cheng, Pin-Nan; Wang, Ru-Hsueh; Wu, I-Chin; Wu, Jaw-Ching; Tseng, Kuo-Chih; Young, Kung-Chia; Chang, Ting-Tsung

doi:10.1016/j.jcv.2006.09.003

« Previous Next »Journal of Clinical Virology
Volume 38, Issue 1 , Pages 44-48, January 2007

Seroprevalence of hepatitis E virus infection among institutionalized psychiatric patients in Taiwan

Pin-Nan Cheng
- Department of Internal Medicine, National Cheng Kung University Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan, ROC
Ru-Hsueh Wang
- Department of Family Medicine, National Cheng Kung University Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan, ROC
I-Chin Wu
- Department of Internal Medicine, National Cheng Kung University Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan, ROC
Jaw-Ching Wu
- Department of Medical Research and Education, Institute of Clinical Medicine, Taipei Veterans General Hospital, National Yang-Ming University, Taiwan, ROC
Kuo-Chih Tseng
- Department of Internal Medicine, Buddhist Dalin Tzu Chi General Hospital, Chia-Yi, Taiwan, ROC
Kung-Chia Young
- Department of Laboratory Science and Biotechnology, Medical College, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan, Taiwan, ROC
Ting-Tsung Chang
- Department of Internal Medicine, National Cheng Kung University Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan, ROC
- Department of Medicine, Medical College, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan, Taiwan, ROC
- Corresponding author at: Division of Gastroenterology, Department of Internal Medicine, National Cheng Kung University Hospital, 138 Sheng-Li Road, Tainan 704, Taiwan, ROC. Tel.: +886 6 2766116; fax: +886 6 2347270.

Received 22 February 2006; received in revised form 13 June 2006; accepted 8 September 2006. published online 30 October 2006.

Abstract

Background

Hepatitis E virus infection (HEV) remains unclear in institutionalized psychiatric patients.

Objectives

To investigate the prevalence and risk factors of HEV infection in a psychiatric institution in Taiwan.

Study design

A total of 754 patients with psychiatric disorders were enrolled in the study. Clinical features, review of patient charts, and interviews with families were recorded for analysis. Antibody to HEV was tested using a commercial enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays.

Results

The prevalence of HEV infection in institutionalized patients was as high as 14.5%. Males had higher prevalence than females. It was also found prevalence increased significantly by age group. When compared with patients 30 years old or less, those in the 31–40 year old age group had an odds ratio of 4.89 [95% confidence interval (CI), 1.15–20.82], 41–50 years old of 6.30 (95% CI, 1.48–26.83), and 50 years or older of 6.20 (95% CI, 1.44–26.74). In multivariate logistic regression analysis, age and male gender were the independent risk factors.

Conclusions

Institutionalized psychiatric patients had higher prevalence of HEV infection. In addition, there was an age-related increase in exposure to HEV with males that had a higher HEV seropositivity.

Keywords: Antibody to hepatitis E virus, Prevalence, Psychiatric disorders