Hepatitis d.
The hepatitis delta virus (HDV) is a defective RNA virus that requires the help of hepatitis B virus (HBV) for virion assembly and penetration into hepatocytes. Thus, it can only cause disease in individuals who carry HBV. HDV infection is present worldwide, predominantly in tropical and subtropical areas. However, with increased HBV control, HDV infection has significantly declined, although stably persisting, in developed countries. Most HDV-infected individuals develop chronic hepatitis D, and in approximately 80% of those cases, chronic hepatitis D progresses to cirrhosis within 5 to 10 years. The only approved therapy for chronic hepatitis D is interferon-alpha. Although transplantation offers a safe therapeutic option for managing end-stage HDV disease, novel therapeutic approaches are urgently needed.
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Jeffrey S. Glenn, MD, PhD Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, CCSR Building, Room 3115A, Stanford University School of Medicine, 269 Campus Drive, Palo Alto, CA 94305-5187, USA. jeffrey.glenn@stanford.edu.
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