Prevalence of hepatitis delta virus infection among hepatitis B virus surface antigen positive patients circulating in the largest province of Pakistan.
BACKGROUND
Hepatitis delta virus (HDV) and Hepatitis B virus (HBV) co-infection is well known to induce a spectrum of acute and chronic liver diseases which further advance to cirrhosis, fulminant hepatitis and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC).


OBJECTIVE
The aim of the present study was to determine the prevalence of hepatitis D virus super-infection among hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) positive individuals in the highly populated province of Pakistan which is not well known.


METHODS
Sera samples were subjected to HBsAg and anti-HDV screening and finally anti-HDV and HBsAg positive coinfected samples were used for HDV active RNA confirmation using nested polymerase chain reaction (PCR).


RESULTS
Out of total 200 HBsAg positive samples by rapid device, 96 (48%) were also found reactive for HBsAg using enzyme linked immunosorbant assay (ELISA). Out of these HBsAg ELISA positive samples, 80 (88.8%) were anti-HDV ELISA positive which were then subjected to PCR. The amplification results further confirmed 24 (30%) samples to be HDV RNA positive. HDV super-infection was more common in male patients than female patients (81% VS 19%).


CONCLUSIONS
The current study shows a high prevalence rate of HDV-HBV co-infection in Pakistan that tends to increase over time.
Division of Molecular Virology, National Centre of Excellence in Molecular Biology, University of the Punjab 87-West Canal Bank Road Thokar Niaz Baig, Lahore, Pakistan.
Gulshan
G
Zaidi
Muhammad
M
Idrees
Fayyaz Ahmed
FA
Malik
Irum
I
Amin
Muhammad
M
Shahid
Saima
S
Younas
Rashid
R
Hussain
Zunaira
Z
Awan
Aaliyah
A
Tariq
Khalida
K
Parveen
D000328:Adult; D015897:Comorbidity; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005260:Female; D006508:Hepatitis Antibodies / Q000097:blood; D006509:Hepatitis B / Q000150:complications*; D006514:Hepatitis B Surface Antigens / Q000097:blood*; D003699:Hepatitis D / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000821:virology; D003698:Hepatitis Delta Virus / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010154:Pakistan / Q000453:epidemiology; D015995:Prevalence; D012367:RNA, Viral / Q000097:blood; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction
D006508:Hepatitis Antibodies; D006514:Hepatitis B Surface Antigens; D012367:RNA, Viral