Prevalence of hepatitis D virus infection among patients with chronic hepatitis B infection in a tertiary care centre in Thailand

Abstract

Knowledge about the epidemiology of hepatitis D virus (HDV) is essential for effective screening and management. Our study aimed to update the prevalence of HDV infection among patients with hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection at hepatology clinics in Thailand. We enrolled HBV-infected patients from hepatology clinics at King Chulalongkorn Memorial Hospital, Bangkok, Thailand, between June 2022 and November 2023. Demographic, biochemical characteristics, and liver-related complications (LRC), including cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma, were reviewed. The competitive enzyme and chemiluminescence immunoassays were used to detect anti-HDV antibodies. Real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) was used to test for HDV RNA in anti-HDV-positive patients. The HDV genotype was identified in detectable HDV RNA samples. Of the 702 enrolled patients, four (0.6%) had positive and equivocal for both anti-HDV tests. Two (50.0%) of the four patients tested positive for HDV RNA and genotype 1 was identified; one had multiple risk factors. Anti-HDV seroprevalence was not significantly different between patients with and without LRC. In conclusion, HDV co-infection is less common in Thailand than globally. Additionally, our study identified genotype 1, the predominant HDV genotype worldwide, and observed co-infection even without LRC.