We have investigated the usefulness of serum hepatitis delta virus (HDV)
RNA detection using a slot hybridization analysis of serum samples from ten patients with acute
hepatitis and delta markers (group I), from 28 patients with
chronic delta hepatitis (group II) and from seven liver graft recipients with hepatitis B virus (HBV) and HDV related
cirrhosis or
fulminant hepatitis (group III). The slot-blots were hybridized with both HDV-
complementary DNA and single-stranded
RNA probes. With the single-stranded
RNA probe, HDV
RNA was detected in the first serum sample available in 9/10 of the patients with acute
hepatitis (group I). In addition, HDV
RNA was detected in 8/9 and 7/8 of the samples obtained within and after 1 month of the onset of
hepatitis. Five of the ten patients scored positive for HDV
RNA and negative for
hepatitis delta antigen (
HDAg) while one was negative for HDV
RNA and positive for
HDAg. The same
RNA probe enabled the detection of serum HDV
RNA in 21/28
chronic hepatitis patients (liver
HDAg and/or
IgM anti-HD positive) (group II). Among the liver graft recipients (group III), 7/7 had a recurrent
delta infection. Serum
HDAg, liver
HDAg and anti-HD
IgM were identified in 3/7, 6/7 and 5/7 of the patients, respectively. HDV
RNA was detected in the seven patients with either persistent (4/7) or transient (3/7) positivity. In addition,
HBsAg and HBV
RNA were persistently shown in 4/7 patients with continuous HDV replication. In the remaining three patients, HDV
RNA was detectable despite the absence of
HBsAg.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)