What Is the Real Prevalence of the D Virus Infection
in Chronic Hepatitis and Liver Cirrhosis in Romania?
Mircea Grigorescu,
Oliviu Pascu, Monica Acalovschi, Corina Radu*
3rd Medical Clinic,
Iuliu Hatieganu University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Cluj-Napoca
a
Abstract
Abstract. Virus D
hepatitis continues to represent a public health problem in
the south-eastern European countries, but the spread of the
D virus infection in Romania is not completely elucidated.
The paper proposes
to assess the prevalence of the hepatitis D virus infection
in patients with HBsAg-positive chronic hepatitis and liver
cirrhosis in Romania.
A number of 219 patients
with chronic hepatitis and 168 with liver cirrhosis, all testing
positive for HBsAg were studied. Viral markers were determined
by immunoenzymatic methods.
In HBsAg-positive
chronic hepatitis the prevalence of the D virus was 37.9 % and
in liver cirrhosis 51.19%. The great majority of the cases infected
with hepatitis B virus were HBeAg-negative.
These findings situate
Romania among countries with a high prevalence of the hepatitis
D virus infection, but which is decreasing as compared to the
data communicated by previous reports.
Key words
Hepatitis D virus
infection – chronic hepatitis B - liver cirrhosis - prevalence
