title: Assessment of hepatitis B virus DNA levels in chronic HBsAg carriers with or without hepatitis delta virus superinfection.
abstract: In order to document the incidence of hepatitis delta virus (HDV) replication markers and their relationship to HBV replication, 91 HBsAg chronic carriers were studied. Of these, 51 were anti-HD-positive (19 HBeAg-positive and 32 anti-HBe-positive). Liver HDAg was found in 75% of anti-HD-positive patients. Of the 19 patients who had anti-HD and HBeAg, 13 were HBV-DNA-positive. None of the anti-HBe patients were HBV-DNA-positive. No differences with respect to HBV-DNA concentration were observed between anti-HD-positive and -negative patients. Liver HDAg was detected with similar frequency in patients who were HBeAg- and HBV-DNA-positive (63.6%) and in those who were anti-HBe-positive (78.5%), with no statistically significant difference. HBcAg and HDAg were simultaneously detected in 36% of the anti-HD cases. Patients with anti-HD and HBV-DNA had the highest levels of transaminases (SGPT). Our results suggest that in certain patients HDV and HBV replication coexists without mutual inhibition.
authors.affiliation: Department of Gastroenterology, Fundación Jiménez Díaz, Universidad Autónoma, Madrid, Spain.
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Bas
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Bartolomé
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: La Banda
authors.forename: J C
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Porres
authors.forename: J A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Quiroga
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Mora
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Carreño
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D002353:Carrier State / Q000175:diagnosis*; D004279:DNA, Viral / Q000097:blood*; D005260:Female; D006509:Hepatitis B / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis*; D006514:Hepatitis B Surface Antigens / Q000032:analysis; D006515:Hepatitis B virus / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D003699:Hepatitis D; D003698:Hepatitis Delta Virus / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D014779:Virus Replication
chemical_list: D004279:DNA, Viral; D006514:Hepatitis B Surface Antigens