Prevalence of Hepatitis D Virus Infection in a Tertiary Liver Center in the United States

Background/Aim: Hepatitis D virus (HDV) infection is the most severe form of viral hepatitis but is under-recognized. We evaluated HDV screening frequency and clinical characteristics of HDV-positive patients in our liver center in the United States. Method: Patients with chronic hepatitis B (CHB) evaluated between January 2021 and December 2023 were included. For those tested anti-HDV(+), HDV RNA was performed and clinical data were recorded. Results: Among 1,337 (M=716, F=621) CHB patients, 93.3% were foreign-born. The cohort included 74.9% Asians, 12.3% Blacks, 9.1% Whites and 1.3% Hispanics. HDV screening significantly increased after 2011 reflecting an increase in HDV awareness. Patients aged 18-40 years had the highest screening rate of 58%. Overall, 13 (1.95%) were tested HDV positive and 11 were repeatedly HDV RNA(+). PWID was noted in 5 of 11. Despite low HBV DNA levels, all had ≥stage 2 fibrosis, and 7 had advanced stage 3-4 disease. After a median follow-up of 8.75 years, 8 (73%) developed hepatic decompensation and 4 had hepatocellular carcinoma. Conclusion: HDV screening reached 51.3% among our predominantly foreign-born CHB patients. The high prevalence of advanced fibrosis at diagnosis underscores the importance of HDV screening. Early diagnosis and effective therapy are urgently needed for this challenging disease.