Impact of Hepatitis Delta Virus on Hepatitis B in South Asia
Author Information
Author(s): Mumtaz Khalid, Ahmed Umair S, Memon Sadik, Khawaja Ali, Usmani Muhammad T, Moatter Tariq, Hamid Saeed, Jafri Wasim
Primary Institution: Aga Khan University Hospital
Hypothesis
What is the impact of hepatitis D virus co-infection on the clinical and virological characteristics of patients with hepatitis B virus infection in South Asia?
Conclusion
HBV/HDV co-infection results in the suppression of HBV DNA and a higher proportion of active hepatitis B infection and cirrhosis compared to HBV mono-infection.
Supporting Evidence
- 35.2% of patients had HBV/HDV co-infection.
- 86.4% of HBV/HDV co-infected patients had suppressed HBV DNA levels.
- Patients with HBV/HDV co-infection had more severe liver disease compared to those with HBV mono-infection.
Takeaway
This study found that having both hepatitis B and D viruses can make the liver disease worse and lower the amount of hepatitis B virus in the body.
Methodology
Data was collected from 480 patients with HBsAg positive and detectable HBV DNA PCR, comparing those with and without HDV co-infection.
Potential Biases
Potential selection bias due to the study's design and patient recruitment from specific hospitals.
Limitations
The study was conducted at two centers in Pakistan, which may limit the generalizability of the findings.
Participant Demographics
Majority were young males with a mean age of 33 ± 12.5 years.
Statistical Information
P-Value
0.002
Statistical Significance
p<0.05
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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