title: Chronic delta hepatitis: detection of hepatitis delta virus antigen in serum by immunoblot and correlation with other markers of delta viral replication.
abstract: 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 serum 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 anti-hepatitis 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.
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, Hospital General Vall D'Hebro, Universidad Autonoma, Barcelona, Spain.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Buti
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Esteban
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Jardi
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Rodriguez-Frias
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Casacuberta
authors.forename: J I
authors.initials: JI
authors.lastname: Esteban
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Allende
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Guardia
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000956:Antigens, Viral / Q000032:analysis*; D002908:Chronic Disease; D005260:Female; D006508:Hepatitis Antibodies / Q000032:analysis; D003699:Hepatitis D / Q000276:immunology* / Q000382:microbiology; D003698:Hepatitis Delta Virus / Q000276:immunology* / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D015151:Immunoblotting; D007075:Immunoglobulin M / Q000032:analysis; D008099:Liver / Q000276:immunology; D008297:Male; D012367:RNA, Viral / Q000097:blood; D014779:Virus Replication
chemical_list: D000956:Antigens, Viral; D006508:Hepatitis Antibodies; D007075:Immunoglobulin M; D012367:RNA, Viral