Infection with hepatitis delta virus in patients with fulminant hepatitis B and chronic HBsAg carriers in Bulgaria.
To evaluate the prevalence and clinical significance of delta infection in a Bulgarian population, 105 HBsAG positive patients with chronic liver diseases, and 42 patients who had died of fulminant hepatitis B were studied. Delta antigen was detected by direct immunofluorescence in the liver of 9 patients with chronic HBV infection (8.6%), and in 3 patients with fulminant hepatitis (7.14%). All chronic HBsAg carriers with delta superinfection had chronic active hepatitis or active liver cirrhosis. They were predominantly anti-HBe (+) in the serum. The mean age and the mean values of serum transaminase did not differ in delta antigen positive and negative patients with chronic liver diseases. A history of parenteral manipulations directly before the hepatitis was present in patients with delta antigen positive fulminant hepatitis. These results indicate a relatively low incidence of delta infection in our population, but it is invariably associated with severe liver disease.
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000410:Alanine Transaminase / Q000378:metabolism; D001219:Aspartate Aminotransferases / Q000378:metabolism; D002031:Bulgaria; D002908:Chronic Disease; D005260:Female; D006509:Hepatitis B / Q000150:complications* / Q000201:enzymology / Q000276:immunology; D006514:Hepatitis B Surface Antigens / Q000032:analysis*; D003699:Hepatitis D / Q000150:complications* / Q000201:enzymology / Q000276:immunology; D006801:Humans; D008099:Liver / Q000201:enzymology / Q000276:immunology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged
D006514:Hepatitis B Surface Antigens; D001219:Aspartate Aminotransferases; D000410:Alanine Transaminase