Hepatitis E virus diagnostic and sequencing
We are working closely together with clinicians to characterise HEV variants using next generation sequencing. This will allow us to:
1. establishing routine sequencing diagnostics for HEV.
2. Identification of HEV variants in acute and chronic infection.
3. Decision support tool which can guide treatment decision.
Our work on characterising treatment-associated variants in chronic HEV patients involves the identification of Ribavirin resistant mutants. We are currently establishing tools for highthorughput identification.
![](https://virologie-bochum.de/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/Fig_concept-1024x786.png)
Evaluation of treatment success in chronically infected patients.
Recently, the hepatitis C virus polymerase inhibitor sofosbuvir was evaluated as a potential antiviral against HEV in vitro and in vivo. The most comprehensive investigation was a 24-week multicenter phase II pilot trial, were nine chronically HEV-infected patients were treated with sofosbuvir (Cornberg et al. 2020). HEV RNA transiently decreased by 2 log, but increased back to pre-treatment levels within 24 weeks of treatment onset.
In a follow up study, we aim to identify the reason for viral recurrence by characterizing changes in the viral population during treatment using amplicon deep sequencing.
![](https://virologie-bochum.de/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/hepediaseq_angepasst-768x512.jpg)
Virologie Bochum: Prof. Dr. Eike Steinmann, Dr. Daniel Todt, Dr. André Gömer
Blutspende Dienst Bochum: Dr. Vollmer
Hannover: Prof. Dr. Heiner Wedemeyer, Dr. Patrick Behrendt
Kairos GmbH