title: Natural course of delta superinfection in chronic hepatitis B virus-infected patients: histopathologic study with multiple liver biopsies.
abstract: We evaluated the natural course of delta superinfection in patients with chronic B viral hepatitis by examining serial liver biopsy specimens from 23 patients. The mean follow-up period was 2.5 years, and the average number of liver biopsies per patient was 2.8. The striking features were: (i) the prolonged acute hepatitis-like necroinflammatory activity (mean = 15 months) following acute delta hepatitis and (ii) rapid progression to severe forms of liver disease within a mean interval of 24 months from the onset of delta superinfection. Although there was a high frequency of stainable delta antigen (90%) in these liver biopsy specimens, there was no correlation between the degree of positivity and the histopathological changes.
mesh_terms: D000914:Antibodies, Viral / Q000032:analysis; D001706:Biopsy; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006509:Hepatitis B / Q000150:complications / Q000382:microbiology / Q000473:pathology*; D006514:Hepatitis B Surface Antigens / Q000032:analysis; D006515:Hepatitis B virus / Q000276:immunology; D003699:Hepatitis D / Q000150:complications / Q000382:microbiology / Q000473:pathology*; D003698:Hepatitis Delta Virus / Q000276:immunology; D006651:Histocytochemistry; D006801:Humans; D007124:Immunoenzyme Techniques; D007074:Immunoglobulin G / Q000032:analysis; D007075:Immunoglobulin M / Q000032:analysis; D008099:Liver / Q000473:pathology*; D008103:Liver Cirrhosis / Q000209:etiology; D011863:Radioimmunoassay
chemical_list: D000914:Antibodies, Viral; D006514:Hepatitis B Surface Antigens; D007074:Immunoglobulin G; D007075:Immunoglobulin M