SEN virus infection does not affect the progression of non‐A to ‐E liver disease

Abstract

SEN virus (SEN V) was discovered recently as a potential causative agent of non-A, non-B, non-C, and non-E (non-A to -E) hepatitis. The aim of this study was to obtain information about the prevalence of this virus in Japan and its association with non-A to -E liver disease. Sixty-seven patients hospitalized for non-A to -E liver disease, including hepatocellular carcinoma (19 patients), cirrhosis (7 patients), chronic hepatitis (18 patients), and acute hepatitis (23 patients), were tested, along with 49 blood donors. The patients were admitted to Nihon University Hospital between 1991 and 1998. SEN V DNA was detected by a nested polymerase chain reaction, targeting the 5' untranslated region. SEN V DNA was detected in 14 of 49 (28.6%) blood donors and in 33 of 67 (49.3%) patients with non-A to -E liver disease. The prevalence of SEN V DNA was similar among patients with various liver diseases, including hepatocellular carcinoma (42.1%), cirrhosis (57.1%), chronic hepatitis (55.6%) and acute hepatitis (47.8%) and among blood donors (28.6%). There were no significant differences in the clinical profiles of patients with SEN V DNA-positive or -negative chronic hepatitis, cirrhosis, and hepatocellular carcinoma. Similarly, there were no significant differences in the clinical profiles between patients with SEN V DNA-positive and -negative acute hepatitis. In conclusion, SEN V infection is present among many blood donors and is common in patients with non-A to -E liver disease. There are insufficient data to prove a causal role for SEN virus infection in non-A to -E liver disease.

Clinical characteristics and prevalence of GB virus C, SEN virus, and HFE gene mutation in Japanese patients with nonalcoholic steatohepatitis

“…The prevalence of GBV-C RNA among our patients overall was as low as the overall infection rate in the Japanese population (0.8%). 40 The prevalence of SENV DNA has been reported to be 28.6% in blood donors and 49.3% in patients with non-A to -E liver disease, 41 and the prevalence of SENV in our subjects was similar to the latter figure. These results suggest that neither GBV-C infection nor SENV infection are involved in the development and progression of NAFLD.…”

SEN and Hepatitis Virus Infections in Nontransfused Children and Pediatric Thalassemia Patients with Multiple Transfusions in Taiwan

“…Another report, Sugiura et al[ 18], in Japan reported that the two variants are not associated with acute or chronic hepatitis, although SENV-D might be a risk factor of fulminant hepatitis. Nevertheless, other studies have found only a weak association between SENV infection and liver disease [19,20,21]. In this study, no significant association was found between SENV infection and persistent elevated ALT value due to HBV/HCV infection or non-HBV/HCV origin, suggesting that the presence of SENV did not cause more severe liver damage in our patient group.…”

Genomic characterization of a Brazilian TT Virus isolate closely related to SEN virus-F

“…In the last two years, several studies, performed in Europe, Asia, and North America, have evaluated the prevalence, modes of transmission and clinical relevance of SENV (Shibata et al 2001, Unemura et al 2001, Kao et al 2002, Mikuni et al 2002, Pirovano et al 2002a,b, Yoshida et al 2002, Schröter et al 2002. However, few data are available regarding the circulation of SENV strains in South America.…”