RESUMO
This study was designed in order to assess the prevalence of HDV and its relation to B virus markers among blood recipients and to attempt to determine different risk factors. Our work was conducted in blood recipients of Mansoura University Hospital; they comprise 353 patients with history of blood transfusion. Thirty fine females with age ranged from 19 to 65 years [mean 34.9 years], and 314 males with age ranged from 13 to 73 years [mean 41.6 years]. Besides, 150 volunteer blood donors [controls] were randomly selected from blood bank, 93 males with age ranged from 14 to 57 years [mean 26.84] and 57 females with age ranged from 18 to 48 years [mean 26.6 years]. Hepatitis D Virus. Anti-HDV is significantly prevalent among HBsAg blood recipients [8 1.8%] as compared to controls [10%]. Significant increase in prevalence of anti-HDV [94.1%] were found among recipients with common use of glass syringes and history of jaundice. The majority of HDV infection [96.3%] was due to superinfection rather than coinfection. Combined HBV and HDV infection aggravated the course of the disease as evidenced from liver function tests even in the presence of anti HBe [a marker of good prognosis]. Study of different profiles of HBV can serve as useful guides to monitor infection or recovery, state of infectivity and prognostic significance. As a large number of blood recipients are capable of transmitting HBV [30.7%], all newly admitted patients to hospital should have tested to HBV markers [namely HBsAg, anti-HBs and anti-HBs], so adequate steps can be taken to protect their contacts from infection. The high prevalence of anti-HDV among both blood donors and recipients is an indication that our locality is hyperendemic for HDV and I.V. injection is an important route of delta transmission among HBV carriers. HDV infection is a characteristic feature of patients with frequent history of jaundice which could represent the clinical expression of superinfection with delta agent in silent HBsAg carriers. Delta infection may cause severe illness despite serological markers of inactive HBV infection due to the cumulative effect of both viruses on the liver. So anti-HDV assay should be added to the battery of tests used to evaluate hepatitis patients