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Chronic delta hepatitis: Detection of hepatitis delta virus antigen in serum by immunoblot and correlation with other markers of delta viral replication
Author(s) -
Buti Maria,
Esteban Rafael,
Jardi Rosendo,
RodriguezFrias Francisco,
Casacuberta Jose,
Esteban Juan Ignacio,
Allende Elena,
Guardia Jaime
Publication year - 1989
Publication title -
hepatology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 5.488
H-Index - 361
eISSN - 1527-3350
pISSN - 0270-9139
DOI - 10.1002/hep.1840100602
Subject(s) - virology , hepatitis , virus , antigen , hepatitis c virus , hepatitis b virus dna polymerase , medicine , hepatitis b virus , hepatitis b , immunology
To investigate the presence of serum hepatitis delta virus antigen by immunoblot and its correlation with other markers of active viral replication (intrahepatic hepatitis D antigen, IgM antibody to hepatitis D and serum hepatitis D virus RNA), we studied serum samples from 50 patients with chronic hepatitis D virus infection (38 with and 12 without intrahepatic hepatitis D antigen). Of the 38 patients with intrahepatic hepatitis D antigen, 27 (71%) had antigen detectable in seurm by immunoblot, whereas only two were reactive by conventional enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay. Thirty‐one (82%) patients were also positive for serum hepatitis D virus RNA by spot hybridization and 33 (87%) were positive for IgM anti‐hepatitis D virus. All markers were simultaneously present in 24 patients. Circulating hepatitis D antigen was detected in one (8%), IgM antihepatitis D in seven (58%) and hepatitis D virus RNA in two (17%) of the 12 patients who had anti‐hepatitis D in serum but not detectable hepatitis D antigen in liver. Hepatitis D antigen was not detected in serum of any of the 15 control patients. The results suggest that serum hepatitis D antigen as detected by immunoblot and serum hepatitis D virus RNA are similar in sensitivity for detection of active hepatitis D virus replication during chronic infection and constitute useful, sensitive and noninvasive tests for the diagnosis and monitoring of chronic hepatitis D virus infection.