Viral Hepatitis D - Causes, Symptoms And Treatment

2024 Author: Josephine Shorter | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 21:43

Viral hepatitis D

Content:

• What is Hepatitis D?
• Causes of hepatitis D
• Symptoms of hepatitis D
• Types of hepatitis D
• Diagnosis and treatment of hepatitis D

What is Hepatitis D?

Hepatitis D is a viral anthroponous infection that causes liver damage. A prerequisite for the development of the disease is the presence of a concomitant virus - hepatitis B. Due to this factor, the process of replication of the delta infection occurs. The hepatitis D virus does not have its own membrane, so it needs a cellular coating of the B virus. Such co-infection causes serious problems with the liver.

The human body is highly susceptible to the hepatitis D virus. You can be protected by vaccination. The vaccine provides protection against both hepatitis D and B.

Causes of hepatitis D

The cause of hepatitis D is the infectious agent - an RNA containing viral particle. The RNA molecule carries the genetic information of the virus, protected by a protein coat. It contains an antigen that was also found in the hepatitis B virus. This fact allowed specialists to find out that the multiplication of hepatitis D viral particles is impossible without the causative agents of hepatitis B.

Infection can occur in the following ways:

• through blood transfusion. According to statistics, 2% of all donors are carriers of viral hepatitis. In this regard, a thorough blood test is carried out, but this does not exclude the possibility of infection. The risk of transfusion of blood containing hepatitis D virus is especially high in patients with repeated repetition of the procedure.
• sexually. Thus, the hepatitis B virus most often enters the human body. If the hepatitis D virus is already present in the blood, this will cause it to multiply and develop the disease.

• multiple use of the same needle in non-sterile conditions. It is no coincidence that the percentage of patients with hepatitis D among drug addicts is so high. In most cases, the cause of the disease is the use of the same needle by different people. Infection is possible during procedures such as acupuncture, piercing, and tattooing. The entry of the hepatitis D virus into the body is due to non-compliance with sterile conditions.
• infection of children in the womb. This route of occurrence of the hepatitis D virus in the body is known as vertical. The highest probability of infection in women suffering from an acute form of hepatitis in the late stages. The risk of the disease increases significantly if she also has HIV infection. Hepatitis D is transmitted from mother to child in only a few cases. For example, the possibility of infection with milk is excluded.

These are the main ways the infection spreads. In many cases, the cause of infection and how the hepatitis D virus enters the human body remain unknown.

Symptoms of hepatitis D

Symptoms for hepatitis D are similar to other types of this disease. Usually, this virus causes complications in the presence of hepatitis B. The development of coinfection in this case takes from 3 to 5 days, and superinfection - from several weeks to 2 months. The preicteric period is characterized by weakness in patients, lack of appetite, nausea, turning into vomiting. There may be pain in the knee joints and liver, and fever.

In the icteric period, there is an actively progressive and strongly pronounced intoxication. With superinfection, edematous-ascites syndrome appears early. It is very difficult to distinguish it from hepatitis B due to similar symptoms. Superinfection is difficult. Recovery takes much longer than hepatitis B. In addition, hepatitis D causes complications that negatively affect liver cells. She, like the spleen, increases in size. On the skin, these complications appear in the form of spider veins. Hepatic edema and ascites are also common in hepatitis D.

On the subject: List of the best hepatoprotectors for liver restoration

Types of hepatitis D

Based on the fact that the hepatitis D virus is closely related to the causative agent of hepatitis B, the following types of infection are distinguished:

• Coinfection. It assumes the simultaneous ingress of hepatitis D and B viruses into the body. Most often, in this case, the infection is passive, and the outcome is favorable. In this case, hepatitis does not require treatment and goes away after a while without medical assistance. However, sometimes viruses cause an acute form of the disease, which leads to serious consequences. The liver is most affected.
• Superinfection. The hepatitis D virus appears after the entry of the B virus into the body. This form is more severe than coinfection, therefore, in most cases, patients need qualified medical care. The percentage of spontaneous clearance of the virus is very low.

Diagnosis and treatment of hepatitis D

Diagnosis of hepatitis D involves a biochemical blood test, as a result of which specific antibodies are usually found in the blood. Since this virus affects liver cells, an ultrasound scan of this organ, reohepatography is performed. In some cases, a puncture biopsy is used. At the diagnostic stage, it is important to confirm the presence of the hepatitis D virus and distinguish it from other types.

The main treatment for this disease is interferon therapy. This drug is considered to be the most effective for hepatitis. Depending on the type of disease, the dosage and frequency of interferon intake are individually prescribed. In hepatitis D, treatment with this drug continues until normal serum transaminase levels in the blood are reached. interferon is taken either daily or several times a week. The dose is determined depending on this.

Drug treatment allows you to prevent the development of cirrhosis of the liver, to stop the multiplication of the hepatitis D virus. In most patients, during the first few months of taking interferon, clinical symptoms of the disease disappear, inflammation decreases. After hepatitis D, the restoration of the normal functioning of the liver takes a long period of time. To avoid the development of the disease and the complications it causes, such as cirrhosis or hepatic coma, regular vaccinations are necessary.

Author of the article: Kletkin Maxim Evgenievich | Hepatologist

Education: Diploma in the specialty "General Medicine" received at the Military Medical Academy. S. M. Kirov (2007). At the Voronezh Medical Academy. NN Burdenko graduated from residency in the specialty "Hepatologist" (2012).