To assess the incidence and prevalence of
delta hepatitis in homosexual men, we tested serum specimens for delta markers in participants in two previous studies: a
hepatitis B vaccine trial among homosexual men conducted in the early 1980's and the Centers for Disease Control sentinel counties
hepatitis study for 1983-1984. In the
vaccine trial, men found to be
hepatitis B surface antigen positive at the time of enrollment and those men who had serologic evidence of new
hepatitis B virus infection during follow-up were tested. In the sentinel counties study that determined risk factors for viral
hepatitis in reported cases, all homosexual men with acute and
chronic hepatitis B virus infections were tested for delta markers. Specimens were tested for
delta antigen and
IgM and total delta antibody. In seven different cities, among 321 men found to be
HBsAg positive at the time of screening, eight (2%) were positive for any delta marker. Among 290 men with new hepatitis B virus
infections during follow-up, three (two
coinfections, one
superinfection) had serologic evidence of
delta hepatitis. In the sentinel counties study, 0/63 acute hepatitis B virus
infections in homosexual men were associated with
delta hepatitis. This study indicates that the delta agent is an infrequent cause of viral
hepatitis in homosexual men in the United States.