[Serological character of hepatitis E virus mutants].

OBJECTIVE: 64 sera with serologically negative nonA-E were tested for HEV RNA and their serological characteristics were studied. METHODS: HEV RNA was tested by a reverse transcriptase PCR(RT-PCR) and the positive PCR products were cloned and sequenced. Of 15 patients positive for HEV RNA, 6 were followed up and tested for anti-HEV. RESULTS: 15 of them(23.4%) were HEV RNA positive. 9 of the 15 HEV sequences have 95% homology and the remaining 6 have only 80% homology as compared with the Chinese HEV strain at the nucleotide level. Of 15 patients positive for HEV RNA, 6 were followed up. 3 of 4 patients infected with typical HEV had anti-HEV seroconversion 1 month after infection and 2 patients infected with HEV mutants were persistently negative for anti-HEV 1 or 3 months after infection. CONCLUSION: The Commercial anti-HEV EIA Kit can not detect HEV mutants.