Prevalence of Hepatitis D Virus Infection Among Patients With Chronic Hepatitis B Attending Birjand Hepatitis Clinic (East of Iran) in 2012

BACKGROUND Hepatitis delta virus (HDV) is a defective RNA virus dependent on Hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection for its replication and expression. All patients with HBV infection should be tested for the presence of HDV infection. It is estimated that approximately 5% of hepatitis B surface antigen (HbsAg) carriers in the world are HDV infected patients. HBV-HDV co-infection may lead to more severe acute disease and higher risks of fulminant hepatitis, cirrhosis, and hepatocellular carcinoma than those having HBV infection alone. Also, HBV infected patients with HDV super-infection have a higher rate of progression to chronic disease and serious complications. OBJECTIVES Our aim was to determine the prevalence of HDV infection among chronic hepatitis B (CHB) patients attending Birjand Hepatitis Clinic, East of Iran. MATERIALS AND METHODS A cross-sectional analytical study was conducted on 413 CHB patients in 2012. Serology test for anti-HDV was measured by ELISA in these patients. CHB patients had positive hepatitis B surface antigen for at least 6 months before the study entrance. RESULTS The mean age of CHB patients was 38.5± 11.9 years and 55.9% of them (231 patients) were male. There were 13 cases (3.1%) with HDV infection. There was no association between positive anti-HDV serology and factors such as age, gender, carrier state, liver enzymes, and positive hepatitis B e antigen (HBeAg) serology. CONCLUSIONS Although HDV had a low prevalence in our area, it is important for healthcare providers and policy makers to plan preventive strategies for HDV spread as well as HBV prevention programs among high risk population.