Epidemiological Study of Hepatitis D Virus in HBsAg Positive Patients in Khorramabad City, West of Iran, 2019

Introduction & Objective: Co-infection of HBV and HDV leads to more severe hepatitis, with a higher risk of acute liver failure and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). This study aimed to assess the prevalence of HDV in HBsAg-positive patients in Khorramabad, which has not been previously evaluated. Methods: A total of 200 patients who tested positive for HBsAg were included in this study. Venous blood samples were collected in EDTA-free tubes. An ELISA test was performed to detect antibodies against HDV, and positive samples were further confirmed using RT-PCR. Population data were analyzed using SPSS software, and a P value ≤0.05 was considered statistically significant for all tests. Results: Out of the total participants, there were 119(59.5%) men and 81(40.5%) women. The age of the patients varied from 5 to 89 years, with an average age of 49.66 years. The HDV ELISA test was performed on HBsAg-positive individuals, yielding positive results for 37(18.5%) patients. Additionally, 10(5%) patients showed borderline infection. The HDV RT-PCR results indicated that 42(21%) individuals tested positive. The prevalence of HDV showed a statistically significant difference between urban and rural areas with respect to molecular RT-PCR testing (P=0.032). Additionally, women, married individuals, and drug addicts were found to be at a higher risk of HDV infection. Conclusion: There is a high prevalence of HDV infection among patients who test positive for HBsAg in Khorramabad. Therefore, assessing the prevalence of HDV in HBsAg positive patients can aid in ensuring timely diagnosis and appropriate treatment for these individuals.

Epidemiological Study of Hepatitis D Virus in HBsAg Positive Patients in Khorramabad City, West of Iran, 2019 Keywords:

HBV , HDV , HBsAg , Prevalence , Co-infection