Aim: To explore the prevalence of SEN virus (SENV) in patients with non A-E hepatitis and volunteer blood donors in Shanghai.
Methods: According to the published gene sequences, primers from the conserved region were designed. Then, the prevalence of SEN virus in 30 samples from healthy voluntary blood donors and 30 samples from patients with non A-E hepatitis were detected by nested-PCR of SENV-D/H. Some PCR products were cloned and sequenced.
Results: The specificity of genotype-specific PCR was confirmed by sequencing, the SENV DNA was detected in 53.3% of the patients with non A-E hepatitis and 10% of the blood donors. The prevalence of SENV-D/H viremia was significantly higher in patients with non A-E hepatitis than in blood donors (P = 0.0002). SENV-H subtype and SENV-D subtype were found in 2 and 1 samples, respectively from blood donors. SENV-H subtype, SENV D subtype, mixed SENV-D and SENV-H subtype were found in 8, 6 and 2 samples, respectively, from patients with non A-E hepatitis.
Conclusion: The gene type of SENV in patients with non A-E hepatitis and blood donors in shanghai is D or H subtype, and transfusion is not the only transmitting form of SENV.