Ribavirin for Chronic Hepatitis E Virus Infection in Transplant Recipients

Hepatitis E virus may cause chronic infection in certain patients, such as those who are immunocompromised. In this report from France involving 59 solid-organ transplant recipients with persistent HEV viremia, ribavirin was associated with HEV clearance in 78% of patients. Hepatitis E virus (HEV) genotype 3 causes self-limiting infection in nonimmunocompromised patients. 1 , 2 However, it can lead to chronic hepatitis and cirrhosis in patients who have received solid-organ transplants, 3 patients with human immunodeficiency virus infection, 4 and patients with hematologic cancers who are receiving chemotherapy. 5 In a large cohort of solid-organ transplant recipients, HEV infection evolved to chronic infection in approximately 66% of the patients and to cirrhosis in 10%. 6 Furthermore, several HEV-induced extrahepatic manifestations (e.g., neurologic symptoms and kidney injuries) have been reported in transplant recipients who are infected with HEV. 7 – 9 To date, there is no established therapy for . . .