title: Detection of anti-delta antibodies among acute hepatitis B virus-infected patients.
abstract: A total of 130 acute HBsAg-positive subjects were tested for the presence of delta hepatitis antibodies (anti-HD). Of the 130 subjects, 56 were females and 74 were males. All patients were individuals attending the two teaching hospitals, i.e., Parirenyatwa and Harare Central hospitals. All the sera were examined by the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), and results were read spectrophotometrically at a wavelength of 492 nm. Of 130, 11 (19.64%) males had anti-HD present in the serum with an overall prevalence of 21 (16.15%). The positivity rates of HBeAg and anti-HBc were 64 (49.23%) and 116 (89.23%), respectively. There was no significant difference between the positive rate in males as compared to females.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Microbiology, Godfrey Huggins School of Medicine, Avondale, Harare, Zimbabwe.
authors.forename: S A
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Tswana
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Laher
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000914:Antibodies, Viral / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D002648:Child; D004812:Epidemiologic Methods; D005260:Female; D006509:Hepatitis B / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000276:immunology* / Q000382:microbiology; D006510:Hepatitis B Antibodies / Q000302:isolation & purification; D006513:Hepatitis B e Antigens / Q000302:isolation & purification; D003698:Hepatitis Delta Virus / Q000276:immunology* / Q000302:isolation & purification; D006801:Humans; D007558:Italy; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015030:Zimbabwe
chemical_list: D000914:Antibodies, Viral; D006510:Hepatitis B Antibodies; D006513:Hepatitis B e Antigens