title: Prevalence of hepatitis D virus infection among hepatitis B virus-infected individuals in India.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The prevalence of hepatitis D virus (HDV) infection among persons with hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection shows geographic variation and has declined in recent times in several regions. In India, studies during the 1990s showed highly variable anti-HDV prevalence rates among HBV-infected persons; however, data using molecular testing and recent data are not available. We therefore studied the prevalence of HDV infection in HBV-infected patients using tests for anti-HDV and HDV ribonucleic acid (RNA).
  
  
  METHODS
  Two cohorts of patients with HBV infection were enrolled (cohort A, n = 150, January to December 2012; cohort B, n = 168, October 2013 to April 2014). Sera from cohort A were tested for IgG anti-HDV using three enzyme immunoassays and those from cohort B for IgG anti-HDV using an enzyme immunoassay and for HDV RNA using a real-time amplification assay.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Of the 318 subjects (259 male; mean age 36.9 years), 161 (50.6 %) had chronic hepatitis B, 101 (31.8 %) had cirrhosis, 52 (16.3 %) had acute viral hepatitis, and 4 (1.3 %) had acute liver failure. In cohort A, all specimens tested negative for anti-HDV antibodies using all the three assays. In cohort B, all specimens tested negative for anti-HDV IgG as well as HDV RNA.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our data indicate that HDV infection is uncommon in northern India.
authors.affiliation: Department of Gastroenterology, Sanjay Gandhi Postgraduate Institute of Medical Sciences, Raebareli Road, Lucknow, 226 014, India.
authors.forename: Shankar Lal
authors.initials: SL
authors.lastname: Jat
authors.forename: Neha
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Gupta
authors.forename: Tarun
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kumar
authors.forename: Swapnil
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Mishra
authors.forename: Avani
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: S
authors.forename: Vishwajeet
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Yadav
authors.forename: Amit
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Goel
authors.forename: Rakesh
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Aggarwal
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D015331:Cohort Studies; D060085:Coinfection / Q000453:epidemiology*; D015897:Comorbidity; D005260:Female; D006509:Hepatitis B / Q000453:epidemiology*; D003699:Hepatitis D / Q000453:epidemiology*; D006801:Humans; D007194:India / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015995:Prevalence; D016036:Seroepidemiologic Studies; D055815:Young Adult