Problems of Radiation Medicine and Radiobiology

Peculiarities of viruses Herpesviridae family persistence in patients with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease who had been exposed to the factors of Chornobyl
NPP accident

A. A. Chumak, O. V. Nosach, L. M. Ovsyannikova, S. M. Alekhina, O. Ya. Pleskach, E. O. Sarkisova, O. V. Gasanova, T. O. Shyiko, L. P. Tyupa
State Institution “National Research Center for Radiation Medicine of the National Academy of MedicalSciences of Ukraine”, Melnykov str., 53, Kyiv, 04050, Ukraine

Objective – to define the features of viruses persistence belonging to the Herpesviridae family in patients with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) who had been exposed to the factors of Chornobyl NPP accident.
Material and methods. The main group included 45 male NAFLD patients sufferers of Chornobyl NPP accident with absorbed doses of external irradiation in the range of 10-580 mSv. The group of nosology comparison consisted of 20 male NAFLD patients with the doses of irradiation within the limits of natural radiation background and regulated doses of medical irradiation. Antibodies to the viruses of herpes simplex 1/2 types (anti-HSV-1/2 IgG), cytomegalovirus (anti-CMV IgG) and Epstein–Barr virus (anti-EBV IgG) were determined by ELISA according to instructions of manufacturer.
Results. There were no patients in both groups without IgG antibodies characterizing persistence of some Herpesviridae representative. Tendencies to the increase of antibodie levels to the viruses of herpes simplex, cytomegaly and Epstein-Barr in the seropositive patients, who had been exposed to the factors of Chornobyl NPP accident relative to the patients of group of nosology comparison were found. There were no differences between the subgroups of patients with steatohepatosis (SH) and nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) in the main group by anti-HSV-1/2 IgG and anti-CMV IgG levels while in the group of comparison SH patients had 60.5 % higher level of anti-HSV-1/2 IgG (p < 0.05) than NASH patients and anti-CMV IgG – 88.2 % respectively. Besides for NASH patients of main group anti-CMV IgG level exceeded 79.6 % (p = 0,02) analogical level for NASH patients in the group of comparison. The mixt infection by the viruses of 1/2 types herpes simplex and cytomegaly was most often determined in all groups with the direct correlation between the levels of anti-HSV-1/2 IgG and anti-CMV IgG. The markers of cytomegalovirus monoinfection were registered only in NASH patients both in main group and in the group of comparison.
Conclusion. According to the presence of class IgG antiviral antibodies, NAFLD patients regardless of radiation influence in anamnesis have high prevalence of Herpesviridae family viral infection: herpes simplex 1/2 types, cytomegalovirus and Epstein–Barr virus. In the group of patients who had been exposed to the factors of Chornobyl NPP accident greater part of seropositive results and higher mean values of the probed antibodies titres were registered than in the groups of comparison. The mixt infection by the viruses of herpes simplex 1/2 types and cytomegaly was registered in most patients with existence of direct correlation between the levels of anti-HSV-1/2 IgG and anti-CMV IgG.

Key words: nonalcoholic fatty liver disease, herpes viral infection, Chornobyl NPP accident sufferers.

Problems of radiation medicine and radiobiology. 2014;19:361-370.