Schemmerer, Mathias and Bock, Hans H. and Schattenberg, Joern M. and Huber, Samuel and Polywka, Susanne and Mader, Maria and Lohse, Ansgar W. and Todt, Daniel and Steinmann, Eike and Wenzel, Juergen J. and Horvatits, Thomas and Pischke, Sven (2024) Proof of infectivity of hepatitis E virus particles from the ejaculate of chronically infected patients. JOURNAL OF MEDICAL VIROLOGY, 96 (6): e29735. ISSN 0146-6615, 1096-9071
Full text not available from this repository. (Request a copy)Abstract
Recently, hepatitis E virus (HEV, Paslahepevirus balayani) particles were detected for the first time in the ejaculate of two chronically infected patients. Since then, we have been able to detect HEV in ejaculate in five further patients, and thus in a total of seven out of nine (78%) chronically infected men (age 36-67 years, median 56 years). In five patients, the HEV RNA concentration was more than 100-fold higher compared to the serum, while in two patients, the viral load was more than 10-fold lower. However, it has remained unclear whether viral particles shed in the ejaculate were infectious, as a previous cell culture model had failed to demonstrate the infectivity. In the current study, we employed an optimized HEV cell culture system based on overconfluent PLC/PRF/5 cells to investigate the infectivity of HEV particles from ejaculate and other body fluids. With this approach, we were able to show for the first time that HEV particles in the ejaculate from several patients were infectious. HEV replicated to high viral loads of 1e9 HEV RNA copies per ml. This indicates that HEV-positive ejaculate could bear a risk of infection for sexual partners.
| Item Type: | Article |
|---|---|
| Uncontrolled Keywords: | HEV; PROTEIN; chronic infection; ejaculate; hepatitis E virus (HEV); immunosuppression; Paslahepevirus balayani; STD |
| Subjects: | 600 Technology > 610 Medical sciences Medicine |
| Divisions: | Medicine > Abteilung für Krankenhaushygiene und Infektiologie |
| Depositing User: | Dr. Gernot Deinzer |
| Date Deposited: | 14 Jan 2026 07:46 |
| Last Modified: | 14 Jan 2026 07:46 |
| URI: | https://pred.uni-regensburg.de/id/eprint/64625 |
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