Evaluation of the long-term outcomes of patients with hepatitis delta


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Tarhan M. S., GEDİK H., KART YAŞAR K.

Journal of Infection in Developing Countries, cilt.19, sa.1, ss.146-154, 2025 (SCI-Expanded, Scopus)

  • Yayın Türü: Makale / Tam Makale
  • Cilt numarası: 19 Sayı: 1
  • Basım Tarihi: 2025
  • Doi Numarası: 10.3855/jidc.20257
  • Dergi Adı: Journal of Infection in Developing Countries
  • Derginin Tarandığı İndeksler: Science Citation Index Expanded (SCI-EXPANDED), Scopus, BIOSIS, EMBASE, MEDLINE, Directory of Open Access Journals
  • Sayfa Sayıları: ss.146-154
  • Anahtar Kelimeler: Hepatitis delta virus, cirrhosis, hepatocellular carcinoma, pegylated interferon, antiviral treatment, liver transplantation
  • Açık Arşiv Koleksiyonu: AVESİS Açık Erişim Koleksiyonu
  • Sağlık Bilimleri Üniversitesi Adresli: Evet

Özet

Objective: To evaluate the long-term outcomes of hepatitis delta patients, including cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), based on clinical and laboratory data. Methodology: A retrospective evaluation was conducted on patients diagnosed with hepatitis delta. The patients were formed into four groups: no-treatment, pegylated interferon, oral antiviral, and combined treatment. Results: A total of 93 patients, 48 women and 45 men, were evaluated in the study. The mean follow-up time was 4.38 ± 2.7 years. Of those, 43 were in the no-treatment group, 22 received combination therapy including pegylated interferon and oral antiviral treatment for chronic hepatitis B (the combined treatment group), 19 received only oral antiviral treatment for chronic hepatitis B (the oral antiviral group), and nine received pegylated interferon (the pegylated interferon group). HDV-RNA negativity was observed in 67% (6/9) of patients in the pegylated interferon group and 33% (5/15) of patients in the combined treatment group. HDV-RNA became spontaneously negative in one of the two patients in the no-treatment group, while no patient in the oral antiviral group became HDV-RNA negative. Seven patients were diagnosed with cirrhosis and one with HCC. Three patients had undergone liver transplants. There were no fatalities among patients. Conclusions: Pegylated interferon therapy has been demonstrated to have partial efficacy in the treatment of delta hepatitis, while oral antivirals have been shown to offer no additional benefit. Although negative HDV-RNA was achieved in some patients treated with pegylated interferon, pegylated interferon treatment could not eliminate the risk of cirrhosis and HCC.