title: [The prevalence and clinical characteristics of hepatitis-delta infection in Korea].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The prevalence of hepatitis delta virus (HDV) infection has been estimated as being approximately 5% among global HBsAg carriers. The anti-delta positive rate in Koreans had been reported as being 0.85% in 1985. While the prevalence of HBV has been decreased from nearly 10% to 5% during the past twenty years, there have been no more studies on the anti-delta prevalence in Koreans. The aim of this study was to estimate the anti-delta prevalence in Koreans and to study the clinical characteristics of anti-delta positive patients in a single center.
  
  
  METHODS
  Serum anti-delta was measured in one hundred ninety four HBsAg-positive patients who were admitted to our hospital from February 2003 to August 2003. We checked the genotypes of the HBV in the anti-delta positive patients. The clinical features of the anti-delta positive patients were compared to those clinical features of the anti-delta negative patients from the aspect of age, gender, mode of transmission, the positivity of HBeAg and serum HBV DNA.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Serum anti-delta was positive in seven patients among the 194 subjects, giving a 3.6% positive rate. Among these seven patients, six had hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and the other one had cholangiocarcinoma. All of the anti-delta positive patients had the C genotype of HBV. The anti-delta positive patients showed significantly suppressed HBV DNA replication compared to the anti-delta negative patients.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In Koreans, anti-delta was positive mainly in HCC patients with an approximate prevalence of 4%, and this rate has not changed much for the past twenty years. HBV DNA replication was suppressed by HDV infection.
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, Korea Cancer Center Hospital, Korea. jsh@kcch.re.kr
authors.forename: Sook-Hyang
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Jeong
authors.forename: Jung Min
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Heui June
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: Ahn
authors.forename: Myung Joon
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Park
authors.forename: Kwang Hyun
authors.initials: KH
authors.lastname: Paik
authors.forename: Won
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Choi
authors.forename: Jin
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Chul Joo
authors.initials: CJ
authors.lastname: Han
authors.forename: Yoo Cheoul
authors.initials: YC
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Jhin Oh
authors.initials: JO
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Young-Joon
authors.initials: YJ
authors.lastname: Hong
authors.forename: Hyo Young
authors.initials: HY
authors.lastname: Park
authors.forename: Ha Hyun
authors.initials: HH
authors.lastname: Jeong
authors.forename: Mi-Yong
authors.initials: MY
authors.lastname: Yoon
authors.forename: Myungjin
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Kee-Ho
authors.initials: KH
authors.lastname: Lee
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D006528:Carcinoma, Hepatocellular / Q000821:virology; D005260:Female; D006508:Hepatitis Antibodies / Q000032:analysis; D003699:Hepatitis D / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000276:immunology; D003698:Hepatitis Delta Virus / Q000276:immunology; D035923:Hepatitis delta Antigens / Q000032:analysis; D006801:Humans; D007723:Korea / Q000453:epidemiology; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000821:virology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015995:Prevalence
chemical_list: D006508:Hepatitis Antibodies; D035923:Hepatitis delta Antigens