Anti-HDV seroprevalence in patients with decompensated liver cirrhosis due to hepatitis B

Abstract

Aim: Hepatitis B (HBV) and Hepatitis D (HDV) viruses are among the two important causes of end-stage liver disease today. In this study, we aimed to increase HDV awareness in people infected with HBV by examining the prevalence of HDV in patients with end-stage liver disease due to HBV and who were evaluated for liver transplantation.
Materials and Methods: The study was designed as a retrospective single-center and cross-sectional. Patients with HBV decompensated liver cirrhosis were divided into two groups as anti-HDV positive and negative. Child-turcott pugh (CTP), Model for End-Stage Liver Disease (MELD) score, complications of liver cirrhosis, viral hepatitis serology, and platelet count variables were statistically compared between the groups.
Results: A total of 147 patients with decompensated liver cirrhosis due to HBV were included in the study. Anti-HDV positivity was detected in 46 (31.3%) patients, and anti-HDV negative in 101 (68.7%) patients. The mean age of HDV positive patients (48.39±9.20) was statistically significantly lower than HDV negative (54.37±7.80) patients (p<0.001). Although MELD and CTP scores were slightly higher in the anti-HDV negative group, there was no statistically significant difference between the groups in terms of both scores (p=0.401; p=0.782, respectively). The platelet count was found to be significantly lower in the anti-HDV positive group than in the anti-HDV negative group (p=0.008).
Conclusion: The rate of encountering HDV in end-stage liver disease due to HBV was found to be quite high. HDV is an important factor in the development of end-stage liver disease in HBV-infected individuals, especially at an early age, and taking precautions for this is of great importance.