The prevalence of SEN virus infection in blood donors and chronic hepatitis B and C patients in Chaharmahal Va Bakhtiari province

SEN virus (SEN-V) is a blood-borne, circular, nonenveloped and single-stranded DNA virus. Phylogenetic analysis demonstrated 9 different genotypes for this virus. SEN-V could be related to post-transfusion hepatitis and infections with this virus in blood donors and hepatitis patients differ markedly by geographic region. The purpose of present study was to determine the prevalence of H and D genotypes of SEN-V (SENV-H and SENV-D) infection in blood donors and patients with chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) and hepatitis C virus (HCV) for the first time in Chaharmahal Va Bakhtiari province located in southwest Iran. SEN-V DNA was analyzed in 240 serum samples of the patients with chronic HBV and HCV (172 HBV and 68 HCV) and 60 non-professional blood donors from the blood transfusion organization, hospital and clinical and pathological laboratories in Chaharmahal Va Bakhtiari province. SEN-V DNA was amplified by specific primers for SENV-H and SENV-D genotypes using polymerase chain reaction (PCR) method after extraction of DNA from sera and PCR products were visualized in a 1% agarose gel electrophoresis. SENV-H genotype was found to be positive in 54/172 (31.39%), 23/68 (33.82%), and 8/60 (13.33%) and SENV-D genotype was detected in 48/172 (27.91%), 27/68 (39.7%), and 6/60 (10%) of patients with chronic HBV, HCV and healthy blood donors, respectively. These results showed that high prevalence of SEN-V infection in patients with chronic HBV and HCV compared healthy blood donors in Chaharmahal Va Bakhtiari province using T test statistical analysis (P<0.05). According to these findings examination of serum samples for control and prevention of SEN-V infection in hepatitis patients and healthy blood donors seems to be necessary .