Hepatitis D laboratory findings

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Editor-In-Chief: C. Michael Gibson, M.S., M.D. [1]; Associate Editor(s)-in-Chief: Jolanta Marszalek, M.D. [2] João André Alves Silva, M.D. [3]

Laboratory Findings

Hepatitis D should be considered in any individual who is HBsAg positive or has evidence of recent HBV infection. The diagnosis of acute hepatitis D is made after evaluation of serologic tests for the virus. Persons infected with HDV develop anti-HDV antibodies. Accordingly every HBsAg positive patient should be studied for the presence of anti-HDV IgG antibodies.

The table below describes the significance of diagnostic markers in HDV infection.

Diagnostic Markers	Significance
Anti-HDV IgG antibody	Positive in persons exposed to HDV Persists, even after viral clearance
Anti-HDV IgM antibody	Positive in acute infection Negative in past infection Persists in many patients with chronic infection
HDV RNA	Qualitative Marker of HDV replication Positive in chronic infection Negative in spontaneous or treatment-induced viral clearance Quantitative Useful in monitoring or predicting treatment response
HBsAg	Qualitative Must be positive for HDV infectivity Quantitative Positively correlated with HDV RNA Falling titer signals HBsAg loss, and hence HDV clearance Useful in monitoring or predicting treatment response
HBeAg	Negative in an estimated 85% of patients Associated with detectable anti-HBe
HBV DNA	Quantitative Suppressed by HDV Negative or low levels in most patients May be increased in patients with detectable HBeAg Can reactivate after spontaneous or treatment-induced clearance of HDV
ALT	Increased in most patients Does not correlate well with degree of histological liver damage

Hepatitis D diagnosis Adapted from Treatment Options for Hepatitis Delta Virus Infection - Springer Science