Hepatitis delta virus RNA detection in chronic HBsAg carriers with and without HIV infection.
Hepatitis delta virus (HDV) RNA detection was carried out, using a full-length HDV RNA probe, in serum of 43 patients with chronic HDV infection. Among them, 30 cases (70%) were HDV RNA-positive. With respect to other HDV markers, serum HDAg (detected by immunoblot) was found in 33 patients (77%) and IgM anti-HD in 29 (67%). A similar percentage of HDV RNA-positive patients with and without circulating hepatitis B virus (HBV) DNA (32.5 vs. 37%, respectively) was found. Antibodies against the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) were detected in 15/43 subjects studied. The presence of HDV RNA was significantly higher (p less than 0.05) in anti-HIV-seropositive cases (93%) than in the HIV-seronegative ones (57%). Moreover, simultaneous HDV and HBV replication was found more frequently (60 vs. 18%, p less than 0.05) and at higher levels among the anti-HIV-positive patients than in the rest. In addition, in most of the anti-HIV-positive subjects, HDV RNA and HBV DNA were constantly positive during a whole year of follow-up.
Department of Gastroenterology, Fundación Jiménez Díaz, Madrid, Spain.
I
I
Castillo
J
J
Bartolomé
A
A
Madejón
M
M
Melero
J C
JC
Porres
V
V
Carreño
D000163:Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome / Q000150:complications / Q000382:microbiology*; D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006509:Hepatitis B / Q000150:complications / Q000382:microbiology*; D006514:Hepatitis B Surface Antigens / Q000032:analysis*; D003699:Hepatitis D / Q000150:complications / Q000382:microbiology*; D003698:Hepatitis Delta Virus / Q000302:isolation & purification* / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D015151:Immunoblotting; D008297:Male; D012367:RNA, Viral / Q000032:analysis*; D011863:Radioimmunoassay; D013997:Time Factors; D014779:Virus Replication
D006514:Hepatitis B Surface Antigens; D012367:RNA, Viral