[Delta hepatitis in Switzerland. Determination of delta antigens and delta antibodies in 397 HBsAg-positive patients (1978-1984)].
In a retrospective study a total of 754 sera from 397 hepatitis patients were assayed for delta antigen and antibody by radioimmunoassay. The study included patients of all age groups (3 months up to 85 years) whose first serum sample, taken from 1978 until January 1984, was positive for HBsAg. Clinically the patients could be subdivided into three major groups: 311 sera were from 181 patients with acute hepatitis, 296 from 135 CPH/CAH patients, including a few cases of liver cirrhosis and 3 cases of HCC, and 147 sera were from 81 asymptomatic carriers. Delta markers were found in 30 patients (7.6%). 20 of these were under the age of 30, and 13 presented with acute, often fulminant hepatitis or (in a minority of cases) exacerbations of preexisting HBV infection. Only two symptomless carriers had anti-delta. It seems of particular interest that all 10 cases where delta antigen could be demonstrated in the first serum sample presented with acute, often fulminant hepatic disease and 9 had anti-HBc-IgM antibodies. Where a second sample could be tested (5 cases), seroconversion to anti-delta was always demonstrated. Delta superinfection could be shown in 2 cases where anti-delta antibodies appeared more than a year after HBsAg positivity was first detected.
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D006509:Hepatitis B / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000276:immunology*; D006510:Hepatitis B Antibodies / Q000032:analysis*; D006511:Hepatitis B Antigens / Q000032:analysis*; D035923:Hepatitis delta Antigens; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013557:Switzerland
D006510:Hepatitis B Antibodies; D006511:Hepatitis B Antigens; D035923:Hepatitis delta Antigens
"Delta-Hepatitis" in der Schweiz. Bestimmung von Delta-Antigen und -Antikörper bei 397 HBsAg-positiven Patienten (1978-1984).