Interactions of HDV, HBV and HIV in chronic B and D infections and in reactivation of chronic D infection.

From this study, we can conclude that there is significant influence of HIV infection on the clinical course of chronic HDV as follows: In these patients, there is simultaneous replication of both HBV and HDV and the suppression of HBV by HDV is modified. There is decreased antibody response to HDV, however, the degree of liver injury is not altered. Although these patients tend to have "reactivation episodes" as frequently as the HIV negative group, no correlation of serum ALT to HDV-RNA could be found. The possibility of these episodes resulting from injury due to other viruses such as non-A, non-B cannot be excluded.