Chronic hepatitis delta: A state-of-the-art review and new therapies.

ABSTRACT: Chronic delta hepatitis is the most severe form of viral hepatitis affecting nearly 65 million people worldwide. Individuals with this devastating illness are at higher risk for developing cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma. Delta virus is a defective RNA virus that requires hepatitis B surface antigen for propagation in humans. Infection can occur in the form of a co-infection with hepatitis B, which can be self-limiting, vs superinfection in a patient with established hepatitis B infection, which often leads to chronicity in majority of cases. Current noninvasive tools to assess for advanced liver disease have limited utility in delta hepatitis. Guidelines recommend treatment with pegylated interferon, but this is limited to patients with compensated disease and is efficacious

SUBMITTER: Gilman C 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6718034 | biostudies-literature | 2019 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature