The co-infection with hepatitis virus B and D--cases admitted in the infectious diseases hospital from Iaşi, Romania (2003-2005)
Vâţa, A.; Hurmuzache, M.; Duca, E.; Scripcariu, D.; Florea, D.; Petrovici, C.; Butur, D.; Luca, V.
Revista medico-chirurgicala a Societatii de Medici si Naturalisti din Iasi 110(4): 856-860
2006
ISSN/ISBN: 0048-7848 PMID: 17438888 Document Number: 602164
Despite the major medical advance, over 350 million people worldwide still have chronic infection with hepatitis B virus and HBV-associated liver disease remains a major cause of morbidity and mortality. 15-50% of patient VHB infected have serological markers for VHD co-infection. We retrospectively studied 252 cases of acute hepatitis B (AHB) admitted in our hospital between 2003-2005; 12 of them (4.76%) had a co-infection with hepatitis D virus. Most of the patients were young males with an urban origin. The route of transmission was unknown in 8/12 cases. Abdominal pain was more frequent during the onset of the disease than in AHB (p < 0.05). A cholestatic pattern was noted in 9 cases. The frequency of severe/ fulminant cases was greater then in AHB. The HBsAg was absent in 3 patients, and the HBV-DNA was present at low levels in 3/12 patients tested. Two patients had HBsAg present 6 month later.