Influence of hepatitis B virus (HBV) genotype on the clinical course of disease in patients coinfected with HBV and hepatitis delta virus.
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.
Kiesslich
Dagmar
D
Amazonas Blood Center, Federal University of Amazonas, Manaus, Brazil. dkiesslich@ig.com.br
Crispim
Myuki Alfaia
MA
Santos
Carlos
C
Ferreira
Fernando de Lima
Fde L
Fraiji
Nelson Abrahim
NA
Komninakis
Shirley Vasconcelos
SV
Diaz
Ricardo Sobhie
RS
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
D000914:Antibodies, Viral; D017931:DNA Primers; D004279:DNA, Viral; D006513:Hepatitis B e Antigens; D000410:Alanine Transaminase; D001663:Bilirubin