TY - JOUR
T1 - Epidemiological and clinical features of hepatitis delta in HBsAg-positive patients by HIV status
AU - Nicolini, Laura A.
AU - Taramasso, Lucia
AU - Schiavetti, Irene
AU - Giannini, Edoardo G.
AU - Beltrame, Andrea
AU - Feasi, Marcello
AU - Cassola, Giovanni
AU - Grasso, Alessandro
AU - Bartolacci, Valentina
AU - Sticchi, Laura
AU - Picciotto, Antonino
AU - Viscoli, Claudio
AU - Ferrea, Giuseppe
AU - Boldrini, Alessandra
AU - Azzola, Emilio
AU - Riccio, Giovanni
AU - Testa, Roberto
AU - De Leo, Pasqualina
AU - Anselmo, Marco
AU - Marenco, Simona
AU - Fazio, Valentina
AU - Sammito, Giorgio
AU - Dodi, Ferdinando
AU - Bruzzone, Bianca
AU - Patrizia, Caligiuri
AU - Savarino, Vincenzo
AU - Percario, Gianfranco
AU - Artioli, Stefania
AU - Boni, Silvia
PY - 2015
Y1 - 2015
N2 - Background: The epidemiology of HBV-associated hepatitis has changed in recent years, especially after the introduction of anti-HBV vaccination, with a consequent decrease in the incidence of HDV-associated hepatitis. However, HDV remains of concern in non-vaccinated people and in immigrants. The aim of this retrospective survey has been to assess prevalence and clinical characteristics of HDV infection in Liguria, a region in Northern Italy, in both HIV-positive and negative patients. Methods: During the year 2010, 641 patients chronically infected with HBV entered an observational study of HBV infection conducted in eight tertiary care centres belonging to the 'Ligurian HBV Study Group'. Results: Of 641 patients, 454 (70.8%) were evaluated for HDV serology and 26 (5.7%) were found positive. Among them, 16 were also HIV-positive and 10 were not. Of the 428 HDV-negative patients, only 313 were tested for HIV and 33 (10.5%) were positive. At the time point of study entry there was no age difference between HIV-positive or negative patients, but HIV-positive patients were 10 years younger than HIV-negative (mean age 34.25 ±6.16 versus 41.50 ±8.89 years; P=0.021) at the time point of their first visit in each centre and they were also more frequently intravenous drug users (P=0.009). Despite a similar rate of cirrhosis in the two groups, no HIV-positive patient received an HDV-active therapy (that is, interferon), versus 4 of 10 HIV-negative patients (P=0.014). Conclusions: HDV infection is still a problem in patients not covered by HBV vaccination. Both HDV and HIV testing were frequently overlooked in our setting.
AB - Background: The epidemiology of HBV-associated hepatitis has changed in recent years, especially after the introduction of anti-HBV vaccination, with a consequent decrease in the incidence of HDV-associated hepatitis. However, HDV remains of concern in non-vaccinated people and in immigrants. The aim of this retrospective survey has been to assess prevalence and clinical characteristics of HDV infection in Liguria, a region in Northern Italy, in both HIV-positive and negative patients. Methods: During the year 2010, 641 patients chronically infected with HBV entered an observational study of HBV infection conducted in eight tertiary care centres belonging to the 'Ligurian HBV Study Group'. Results: Of 641 patients, 454 (70.8%) were evaluated for HDV serology and 26 (5.7%) were found positive. Among them, 16 were also HIV-positive and 10 were not. Of the 428 HDV-negative patients, only 313 were tested for HIV and 33 (10.5%) were positive. At the time point of study entry there was no age difference between HIV-positive or negative patients, but HIV-positive patients were 10 years younger than HIV-negative (mean age 34.25 ±6.16 versus 41.50 ±8.89 years; P=0.021) at the time point of their first visit in each centre and they were also more frequently intravenous drug users (P=0.009). Despite a similar rate of cirrhosis in the two groups, no HIV-positive patient received an HDV-active therapy (that is, interferon), versus 4 of 10 HIV-negative patients (P=0.014). Conclusions: HDV infection is still a problem in patients not covered by HBV vaccination. Both HDV and HIV testing were frequently overlooked in our setting.
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U2 - 10.3851/IMP2819
DO - 10.3851/IMP2819
M3 - Article
C2 - 24963642
AN - SCOPUS:84937579530
VL - 20
SP - 193
EP - 197
JO - Antiviral Therapy
JF - Antiviral Therapy
SN - 1359-6535
IS - 2
ER -