title: Influence of hepatitis B virus (HBV) genotype on the clinical course of disease in patients coinfected with HBV and hepatitis delta virus.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  We evaluated the influence of hepatitis B virus (HBV) genotype on the course of disease in patients coinfected with HBV and hepatitis delta virus (HDV).
  
  
  METHODS
  We evaluated HBV genotypes in 190 patients, 140 of whom had chronic HBV monoinfection and 50 of whom had chronic HBV-HDV coinfection. Real-time polymerase chain reactions for the amplification of HBV DNA and HDV RNA were developed, and we compared the patient groups with respect to HBV genotype, viral load, alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and bilirubin levels, and disease severity.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Coinfected patients had higher ALT and bilirubin levels as well as a higher prevalence of liver cirrhosis and liver carcinoma. ALT levels were higher among individuals coinfected with HDV and HBV genotype F than among individuals infected only with HBV genotype F. Among HDV-HBV-coinfected patients, HDV load was lower among those infected with HBV genotype A than among those infected with HBV genotype D or genotype F.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Liver inflammation and HDV load are influenced by HBV genotype in individuals coinfected with HBV and HDV.
authors.affiliation: Amazonas Blood Center, Federal University of Amazonas, Manaus, Brazil. dkiesslich@ig.com.br
authors.forename: Dagmar
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Kiesslich
authors.forename: Myuki Alfaia
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Crispim
authors.forename: Carlos
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Santos
authors.forename: Fernando de Lima
authors.initials: Fde L
authors.lastname: Ferreira
authors.forename: Nelson Abrahim
authors.initials: NA
authors.lastname: Fraiji
authors.forename: Shirley Vasconcelos
authors.initials: SV
authors.lastname: Komninakis
authors.forename: Ricardo Sobhie
authors.initials: RS
authors.lastname: Diaz
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000410:Alanine Transaminase / Q000097:blood; D000914:Antibodies, Viral / Q000097:blood; D001663:Bilirubin / Q000097:blood; D017931:DNA Primers; D004279:DNA, Viral / Q000235:genetics; D005838:Genotype; D006513:Hepatitis B e Antigens / Q000276:immunology; D006515:Hepatitis B virus / Q000235:genetics* / Q000302:isolation & purification; D019694:Hepatitis B, Chronic / Q000097:blood* / Q000150:complications*; D019701:Hepatitis D, Chronic / Q000150:complications*; D003698:Hepatitis Delta Virus / Q000302:isolation & purification; D006801:Humans; D007565:Jaundice / Q000453:epidemiology; D008875:Middle Aged; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction
chemical_list: D000914:Antibodies, Viral; D017931:DNA Primers; D004279:DNA, Viral; D006513:Hepatitis B e Antigens; D000410:Alanine Transaminase; D001663:Bilirubin