Treatment of severe acute hepatitis E by ribavirin.

Abstract

BACKGROUND:

Acute hepatitis E is associated with a higher rate of mortality as compared to hepatitis A or B infections in some series. To date no treatment has been recommended for acute hepatitis E. However, ribavirin has been recently reported to be highly effective to treat solid-organ-transplant recipients chronically infected with hepatitis E virus (HEV).

OBJECTIVE AND STUDY DESIGN:

We report here on the use of ribavirin to treat severe acute HEV infection in a non-immunocompromized patient. This 61-year-old-man presented with acute hepatitis with HEV genotype 3. Seven days after admission, prothrombin index was 38%, bilirubinaemia was 550 μmol/L and alanine aminotransferases level was still increasing, reaching 4565IU/L. No hepatic encephalopathy was noted. Ribavirin (1200 mg/day) was introduced.

RESULTS:

Liver biological tests showed rapid improvement concurrently with a decrease in HEV RNA levels in serum samples. Therapy was interrupted after 21 days. At that time, ALT had normalized, bilirubinemia was 138 μmol/L, and HEV RNA was almost undetectable in the serum.

CONCLUSION:

Ribavirin therapy could be an effective treatment of severe acute hepatitis E.

• Authors: René Gerolami, Patrick Borentain, Ferdaous Raissouni, Anne Motte, Caroline Solas, Philippe Colson
• Journal: Journal of clinical virology : the official publication of the Pan American Society for Clinical Virology (J Clin Virol) Vol. 52 Issue 1 Pg. 60-2 (Sep 2011) ISSN: 1873-5967 [Electronic] Netherlands
• PMID: 21764632 (Publication Type: Case Reports, Journal Article)
• Copyright: Copyright © 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Chemical References

• Antiviral Agents
• Hepatitis Antibodies
• RNA, Viral
• Ribavirin

Topics

• Acute Disease
• Antiviral Agents (therapeutic use)
• Hepatitis Antibodies (blood)
• Hepatitis E (drug therapy)
• Humans
• Liver (pathology)
• Liver Function Tests
• Male
• Middle Aged
• RNA, Viral (blood)
• Ribavirin (therapeutic use)