title: The role of hepatitis D virus in liver disease in the Middle East.
abstract: Hepatitis D virus appears to be endemic in the Middle East, but its distribution bears little relationship to that of HBV. Only in Jordan was an association between HDV-positive status and HBsAg-positive primary hepatocellular carcinoma found. Fulminant hepatitis and chronic sequelae were unusual in HDV-coinfection, while early mortality and a chronic outcome were commoner in HDV-superinfection. In established HBsAg-positive cirrhosis survival was not significantly different in the HDV-positive vs. the HDV-negative patients. In patients whose biopsies showed cirrhosis, severe necroinflammatory features were seen more often in the HDV-positive than in HDV-negative patients.
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Medicine, University of Jordan, Amman.
authors.forename: A U
authors.initials: AU
authors.lastname: Toukan
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: al-Kandari
mesh_terms: D002353:Carrier State / Q000453:epidemiology*; D006509:Hepatitis B / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology*; D003699:Hepatitis D / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology*; D006801:Humans; D008877:Middle East / Q000453:epidemiology; D015995:Prevalence