title: Delta hepatitis virus infection in China.
abstract: To assess the prevalence, epidemiological features and prognostic implications of hepatitis D (Delta) in Sichuan Province, The People's Republic of China, 649 sera (515 from HBsAg positive patients and 134 from HBsAg negative subjects) were tested by radioimmunoassay (RIA) for antibody to the hepatitis D virus (anti-HD). Forty-seven sera (7.2%) showed some degree of reactivity. Serial dilutions of these sera indicated that prozoning was not responsible for the equivocal results. Thirty-four of the 47 sera were submitted under code to a second laboratory for independent analysis. According to those results anti-HD antibodies were detected in four of these sera. The overall prevalence of anti-HD in the HBsAg positive patients therefore was 0.8% (4/515). On the basis of clinical, biochemical and histological data 427 HBsAg positive sera were further divided into acute Type B hepatitis, chronic Type B hepatitis, healthy carrier state and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) subgroups. Two of 65 (3.1%) anti-HD positive sera belonged to the acute Type B hepatitis group; one of 104 (0.9%), the chronic Type B hepatitis group and one of 246 (0.4%), the healthy carrier group. No antibody was detected in sera from 12 HBsAg positive HCC patients. All HBsAg negative patients were negative for anti-HD antibody. The results of this study indicate that despite a high prevalence of hepatitis B virus infection, positive serology for delta virus is uncommon in Sichuan Province, The People's Republic of China.
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000914:Antibodies, Viral / Q000032:analysis; D006528:Carcinoma, Hepatocellular / Q000276:immunology; D002353:Carrier State / Q000276:immunology; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D002681:China; D005260:Female; D006509:Hepatitis B / Q000276:immunology; D006514:Hepatitis B Surface Antigens / Q000032:analysis; D003699:Hepatitis D / Q000453:epidemiology*; D003698:Hepatitis Delta Virus / Q000276:immunology; D006801:Humans; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000276:immunology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged
chemical_list: D000914:Antibodies, Viral; D006514:Hepatitis B Surface Antigens