Fig. 3.

Dynamics of the HEV pathogen (RNA and antigen) (a), anti-HEV antibodies (IgM and IgG) (b) and ALT levels (c), and models (d) among 10 donors with long-term HEV viremia and/or antigenemia (upper panel) and 20 acute hepatitis E (HE) patients (lower panel) during the follow-up period. Samples were collected from 10 donors who presented with long-term HEV viremia and/or antigenemia from 1 to 7 days (n = 10), 8 to 28 days (n = 1), 1 to 28 days (n = 11), 29 to 112 days (n = 10), and ≥ 113 days (n = 3) after donation. Samples were also collected from 20 HE patients from 1 to 7 days (n = 17), 8 to 28 days (n = 24), 1 to 28 days (n = 41), 29 to 112 days (n = 28), and ≥ 113 days (n = 4) after the onset of symptoms. Dotted lines represent the cut-off levels for the HEV antigen and anti-HEV IgM/IgG values. Viral RNA, HEV antigen, anti-HEV IgM, and anti-HEV IgG values and ALT levels are presented as ranges (whiskers), interquartile ranges (boxes), and medians (lines within the boxes). The differences in RNA and antigen levels between blood donors from 1 to 7 days after donation and HE patients from 1 to 7 days after onset were analyzed using the Mann–Whitney U test. “*”p < 0.05; “**”p < 0.01; “***”p < 0.001