Abstract
Sera from 619 HBsAg+ subjects living in eastern Sicily, consecutively collected from 1975–1985, were tested for markers of delta virus (HDV) infection: delta antigen (HDAg), antibodies to delta (anti-HDIg), and also for antibodies to HBcore of IgM type (anti-HBcIgM) and for the system HBe-anti-HBe. The subjects included 210 asymptomatic carriers, 238 patients with acute hepatitis and 171 patients with chronic liver disease.
HDAg was not found in any of the samples. Anti-HD was found in 28/171 (16.3%) patients with chronic liver disease, in 13/210 (6%) asymptomatic HBsAg carriers and in 13/238 (5.4%) patients with acute hepatitis. None of our patients were drug addicts. One had a history of blood transfusion, and nine came from the same family unit.
The prevalence of HDV infection in eastern Sicily is lower than in other areas of Sicily possibly because of the lower percentage of HBsAg carriers in the local population. Parenteral transmission of HDV does not seem to play a major role in our area, while the familial clustering suggests close body contact as an important way of spread.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Caporaso N., Coltorti M., Del Vecchio Blanco C. (1983): Familial clustering of delta-infection and chronic hepatitis. - Ital. J. Gastroenterol. 15: 61–74.
Consolo F., Ferrah O., Resta M.L., Freni M.A. (1978): HBsAg e HBsAb nelle epatopatie croniche. -Giorn. Mal. Inf. Parass. 30: 559–562.
Farci P., Smedile A., Lavarini C. et al. (1983): Delta hepatitis in inapparent carriers of hepatitis B surface antigen. A disease simulating acute hepatitis B progressing to chronicity. - Gastroenterology 85: 669–673.
Hansson B.G., Moestrup T., Widell A., Nordenfelt E. (1982): Delta infection in Sweeden: introduction of a new hepatitis agent. - J. Infect. Dis. 146: 472–478.
Lavarini C., Crivelli O., Smedile A. et al. (1982): Radioimmunoassay detection of IgM antibodies to hepatitis B core antigen in HBsAg positive liver disease. - Boll. Ist. Sieroterap. Mil. 61: 210–217.
Moestrup T., Hansson B.G., Widell A., Nordenfelt E. (1983): Clinical aspects of delta infection. - Brit. Med. J. 286: 87–89.
Nordenfelt E., Hansson B.G. et al. (1983): Frequency of Delta Agent infection in Kuwait. - J. Infect. Dis., 148: 768.
Popper H., Swan N. Thung, Gerber M.A. et al. (1983): Histologic studies of severe delta agent infection in Venezuelan Indians. - Hepatology 3: 906–12.
Raimondo G., Smedile A., GalloL. et al. (1982): Multicentre study of prevalence of HBV associated delta infection and liver disease in drug addicts. -Lancet 1: 249–251.
RizzettoM., ShihJ.W.K., GockeD.J. et al. (1979): Incidence and significance of antibodies to delta antigen in hepatitis B virus infection. - Lancet ii: 986–990.
RizzettoM., HoyerB., CaneseM.G. et al. (1980): σ Agent: Association of antigen with hepatitis B surface antigen and RNA in serum of σ infected chimpanzees. - Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 27: 6124–6128.
RizzettoM., ShihJ.W.K. and GerinJ.L. (1980): The hepatitis B virus associated delta antigen: isolation from liver, development of solid phase radioimmunoassay for delta and anti-delta and partial characterization of delta. - J. Immunol. 125: 318–324.
RizzettoM., AricòS., CaneseM.G. et al. (1977): Immunofluorescence detection of new antigen/ antibody system (delta-anti-delta) associated with hepatitis B virus in liver and in serum of HBsAg carriers. - Gut. 18: 997–1003.
RizzettoM., VermeG., RecchiaS. et al. (1983): Chronic hepatitis in carriers of hepatitis B surface antigen, with intrahepatic expression of delta-antigen. -Ann. Intern. Medi. 98: 437–441.
RizzettoM., RaimondoG., SmedileA. and VermeG. (1980): Antigene σ: una variante del virus del-l'epatite B od un agente non A non B? - Il Fegato 26: 191–206.
RizzettoM., PurcellR.H., GerinJ.L. (1980): Epidemiology of HBV-Associated delta agent: geographical distribution of anti-delta and prevalence in polytransfused HBsAg carriers. - Lancet i: 1215–1218.
RizzettoM., CaneseM.G., GerinJ.L. et al. (1980): Transmission of Hepatitis B virus associated delta antigen to chimpanzees. - J. Infect. Dis. 141: 590–602.
SmedileA., FarciP., VermeG. et al. (1982): Influence of delta infection on severity of hepatitis B. - Lancet ii: 945–947.
SmedileA.LavariniC., CrivelliO. et al. (1982): Radioimmunoassay detection of IgM antibodies to the HBV associated delta antigen: clinical significance in σ infection. - J. Med. Virol. 1: 249–251.
SmedileA., LavariniC., FarciP. et al. (1983): Epidemiological patterns of infection with the hepatitis B virus-associated delta agent in Italy. -Am. J. Epidem. 117: 223–229.
WellerI.V.D., KarayannisP., LokA.S.F. et al. (1983): Significance of delta agent infection: a study in British carriers. - Gut 24: 1061–1063.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Smedile, A., Freni, M.A., Caruso, L. et al. Delta infection in eastern Sicily. Eur J Epidemiol 3, 386–389 (1987). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00145650
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00145650