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Chronic delta hepatitis in haemophiliacs
Author(s) -
Gerritzen Andreas,
Brackmann Hans,
Van Loo Birgit,
Nies Gudrun,
Ruland Christiane,
Spiegelberg Gertrud,
Hammerstein Ursula
Publication year - 1991
Publication title -
journal of medical virology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.782
H-Index - 121
eISSN - 1096-9071
pISSN - 0146-6615
DOI - 10.1002/jmv.1890340311
Subject(s) - virology , hepatitis delta , medicine , picornaviridae , virus , hepatitis b virus , enterovirus
The seroepidemiological profile of HBV and HDV was investigated in 640 male haemophiliacs. Twenty‐seven of forty‐four HBsAg carriers were anti‐HDV‐lgG positive, 22 were also anti‐HDV‐IgM positive. A markedly lower prevalence of HDV infection was found in patients with anti‐HBc in the absence of HBsAg and anti‐HBs (6/41). Repeated detection of anti‐HDV‐IgM in 5/41 individuals of this group indicates that circulating HBsAg is not an absolute prerequisite for chronic HDV infection. Overall, chronically active HDV infection was detected more frequently in quiescent than in active chronic HBV infections. Anti‐HDV‐lgM was not detected in the absence of anti‐HDV‐lgG antibodies. Anti‐HDV‐IgG may disappear after resolution of HDV infection, as indicated by the low prevalence (1/42) in such individuals with past HBV infection as well as by loss of anti‐HDV‐lgG observed in two patients.