Quantitation of the Level of Hepatitis Delta Virus RNA in Serum, by Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction—and Its Possible Correlation with the Clinical Stage of Liver Disease

• Published in: The Journal of infectious diseases Vol. 189; no. 7; pp. 1151 - 1157
• Main Authors: Yamashiro, Tsuyoshi, Nagayama, Kazuyoshi, Enomoto, Nobuyuki, Watanabe, Hideki, Miyagi, Tsuyoshi, Nakasone, Hiroki, Sakugawa, Hiroshi, Watanabe, Mamoru
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Chicago, IL The University of Chicago Press 01.04.2004; University of Chicago Press; Oxford University Press
• Subjects: Adult; Aged; Aged, 80 and over; Biological and medical sciences; Carrier State; DNA; Female; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Genotypes; Hepatitis antigens; Hepatitis B virus; Hepatitis B virus - genetics; Hepatitis B, Chronic - blood; Hepatitis B, Chronic - pathology; Hepatitis B, Chronic - virology; Hepatitis D, Chronic - blood; Hepatitis D, Chronic - pathology; Hepatitis D, Chronic - virology; Hepatitis delta virus; Hepatitis Delta Virus - genetics; Humans; Infectious diseases; Liver; Liver Cirrhosis - blood; Liver Cirrhosis - pathology; Liver Cirrhosis - virology; Liver diseases; Male; Medical sciences; Microbiology; Middle Aged; Polymerase chain reaction; Reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction; Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction - methods; RNA; RNA, Viral - blood; Sensitivity and Specificity; Viruses; Virus; Infection; Polymerase chain reaction; Hepatitis D virus; Microbiology; Digestive diseases; Hepatic disease; Serum; Real time; Quantitative analysis
• ISSN: 0022-1899; 1537-6613
• DOI: 10.1086/382133

Some hepatitis B virus (HBV) carriers with chronic hepatitis delta virus (HDV) superinfection show progressive chronic hepatitis, whereas others show no apparent signs of liver disease. In the present study, we established a sensitive method for the quantitation of the level of HDV RNA in serum on the basis of real-time reversetranscription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR), to clarify the role that the level of HDV RNA in serum plays in the diverse natural course of clinical manifestation. In 48 subjects who were positive for hepatitis B surface antigen and for anti-hepatitis delta antibody, the levels of HDV RNA in serum were quantitated by RT-PCR. The levels of HBV DNA in serum were determined by a transcription-mediated amplification assay. The levels of HDV RNA in serum of subjects with chronic hepatitis and of subjects with liver cirrhosis were significantly higher than those in asymptomatic carrier subjects. The levels of HBV DNA in serum did not differ significantly among these 3 groups. In conclusion, HDV RNA quantification by real-time RT-PCR is possibly a useful tool for understanding the pathophysiology of HDV infection.