Hepatitis B virus replication modulates pathogenesis of hepatitis D virus in chronic hepatitis D

✍ Scribed by Antonina Smedile; Floriano Rosina; Giorgio Saracco; Elisabetta Chiaberge; Valter Lattore; Antonina Fabino; Maurizia R. Brunetto; Giorgio Verme; Mario Rizzetto; Ferruccio Bonino

• Publisher: John Wiley and Sons
• Year: 1991
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 465 KB
• Volume: 13
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 0270-9139
• DOI: 10.1002/hep.1840130305

✦ Synopsis

Hepatitis D virus and hepatitis B virus nucleic acids were detected by Northern and Southern blot hybridization in the sera and livers of 86 chronic carriers of HBsAg and anti-hepatitis D followed up for a mean of 10 yr. We identified three subsets of patients 13 with hepatitis D virus and hepatitis B virus viremia, 53 with serum hepatitis D virus M A , but without hepatitis B virus DNA and 19 negative for both nucleic acids.

Genomic and subgenomic forms of hepatitis D virus RNA were detected only in patients with hepatitis D virus and hepatitis B virus viremia. Histological findings and disease activity at admission were comparable in the three groups of patients, but the outcome was significantly worse in patients with active replication of both viruses; two of them died of terminal liver failure and hepatocellular carcinoma developed in two; the remaining patients had an uneventful course. These results suggest that active hepatitis B virus replication represents an important previously unrecognized determinant of severe liver damage in patients with chronic hepatitis D virus infection. Since hepatitis B virus provides the means for hepatitis D virus secretion and release from infected cells, active hepatitis B virus multiplication favoring the spread of hepatitis D virus from cell to cell may increase the pathogenetic potential of the defective agent. (HEPATOLOGY 1991;13:413-416.)

Hepatitis delta virus (HDV) has a single-stranded RNA genome that has no homology with that of known animal viruses and a genetic structure reminiscent of RNAs of plant viroids and virusoids (1, 2). Its infection is independent of HBV or other hepatitis DNA viruses (HepDNA) as shown in epidemiological studies, experimental transmission in animals and by characterization of infectious virus particles (2-4). The HD-virion envelope is made up of HBsAg and contains both HDV RNA and HDAg without nucleocapsid-like symmetry