Molecular Epidemiology And Characterization Of Hepatitis Delta Virus From Peshawar Division Kpk-Pakistan

Hepatitis Delta virus (HDV) causes superinfection along with harsh complication as compared to only HBV infection and is the only member of genus delta virus. HDV is considered as a satellite virus of HBV based on the biological principles of HBV and therefore it is unable to cause disease without HBV. The co infection of both HDV and HBV cause more serious liver disorders compared to mono infection of HBV. Chronic infection with HBV and HDV can lead to chronic hepatitis with acute fulminant hepatitis and progression of cirrhosis. The aim of the study was to determine the prevalence of hepatitis D virus in positive samples of hepatitis B virus in Peshawar division of KPK, Pakistan. Two hundred positive samples of hepatitis B virus were collected from different areas of KPK. Furthermore, RT-PCR positive samples (n=80) were screened by ELISA (Enzyme Linked Immunosorbent Assay) for the presence of HDV. Nested PCR was used to confirm the positive HDV samples. Among 200 samples only 80 were confirmed for HDV. Nested PCR shows that only (n=2) 14.3% samples were positive for HDV. Over all data of our study, shows that the prevalence of HDV infection is usually higher in males than female and investigate that the prevalence of hepatitis D virus infection remains high in Peshawar division as compared to other divisions of KPK, Pakistan. The study showed the prevalence and molecular epidemiology of HDV co infection in Hepatitis B infected individuals. The hepatitis D virus may present as a co-infection in an individual recently affected with hepatitis B virus in chronic HBV carriers.