title: Prevalence of antibody to hepatitis D virus among HBsAg-positive drug-dependent patients in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.
abstract: Over a period of ten months, all the patients admitted for drug dependence were tested for HBsAg. The positive cases were tested for anti-HDV. The anti-HDV-positive patients were further tested for liver function tests (LFTs) and anti-HCV. A total of one thousand three hundred and twenty one patients were tested. Out of this, 1038 were intravenous drug users (IDUs) and 283 were non-IDUs. Eighty one patients were HBsAg positive (75 IDUs and six non-IDUs). Eleven patients were anti-HDV positive--all were IDUs. The overall prevalence of anti-HDV among HBsAg-positive patients was 13.6%. Among HBsAg-positive IDUs, it was 14.7% and it was 0.0% for HBsAg-positive non-IDUs. Nine (81.8%) of the eleven anti-HDV-positive patients were also positive for anti-HCV and eight (72.7%) had abnormal LFTs. In view of the association of hepatitis B, C and D viruses with chronic liver disease recommendations have been made to control the spread of these viruses and to prevent liver disease.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, Al Amal Hospital, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Njoh
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Zimmo
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D015897:Comorbidity; D006508:Hepatitis Antibodies / Q000097:blood*; D018963:Hepatitis Antigens / Q000276:immunology*; D006509:Hepatitis B / Q000150:complications* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000276:immunology; D006514:Hepatitis B Surface Antigens / Q000097:blood; D018937:Hepatitis C Antibodies / Q000097:blood; D003699:Hepatitis D / Q000150:complications* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000276:immunology*; D035923:Hepatitis delta Antigens; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012529:Saudi Arabia / Q000453:epidemiology; D016036:Seroepidemiologic Studies; D019966:Substance-Related Disorders / Q000150:complications*; D014504:Urban Health
chemical_list: D006508:Hepatitis Antibodies; D018963:Hepatitis Antigens; D006514:Hepatitis B Surface Antigens; D018937:Hepatitis C Antibodies; D035923:Hepatitis delta Antigens; C442244:hepatitis delta virus large antigen