title: Anti-delta antibody in various HBsAg positive Argentine populations.
abstract: One thousand five hundred and seventeen HBsAg carriers from different cities of Argentina were studied for the presence of anti-Delta antibody (anti-HDV) in their sera. One thousand one hundred and sixty-eight were volunteer blood donors and 349 were patients with liver disease. Different liver diseases were diagnosed by clinical, biochemical, and histological parameters. Among blood donors, 16 (1.4%) were positive for the antibody and none was Delta-antigen positive. In 130 patients with acute hepatitis, one (0.77%) was positive for anti-HDV, as well as three (2.22%) out of 135 patients with chronic active hepatitis (CAH), and three (5.77%) out of 52 patients with cirrhosis (C). No anti-HDV positive was found among seven fulminant hepatitis (FH) cases. The presence of HBeAg and anti-HBe was studied in anti-HDV positive sera; eleven (69%) volunteer blood donors were anti-HBe positive, and five (31%) were HBeAg positive. HBeAg was positive in the three CAH cases, and in one out of three C Cases with anti-HDV positive. Hepatitis Delta antigen was also positive in the hepatocytic nuclei in the three patients with C and two of the three CAH cases. The present results show that Delta infection is rare among blood donors in Argentina. A small variation without statistical significance could be found within different geographical areas. Among patients with HBsAg related liver disease, the presence of HDV markers was also low.
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001118:Argentina; D001782:Blood Donors; D002353:Carrier State; D005260:Female; D006508:Hepatitis Antibodies / Q000032:analysis*; D006509:Hepatitis B / Q000150:complications*; D006514:Hepatitis B Surface Antigens / Q000032:analysis; D006513:Hepatitis B e Antigens / Q000032:analysis; D003699:Hepatitis D / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology*; D003698:Hepatitis Delta Virus / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans; D008107:Liver Diseases / Q000150:complications; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged
chemical_list: D006508:Hepatitis Antibodies; D006514:Hepatitis B Surface Antigens; D006513:Hepatitis B e Antigens