Acute hepatitis B and hepatitis D co-infection in the Stockholm region in the 1970s and 1980s--a comparison.

The frequency and clinical features of acute hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection with and without a hepatitis D virus (HDV) co-infection was investigated retrospectively in the Stockholm region during two different time periods, September 1977-October 1978 and November 1984-October 1986. Totally, 31/229 (14%) patients with acute HBV infection had a HDV co-infection. No change in the frequency of co-infections, 12% and 15%, respectively, was observed between the 1970s and 1980s. Among the 31 HDV co-infected patients 74% were intravenous drug addicts. Totally 23/66 (35%) intravenous drug addicts with acute HBV infection had HDV co-infection. Clinically a biphasic rise of the serum levels of alanine aminotransferase and bilirubin was noted among 63% of the HDV co-infected patients but only among 8% of the solely HBV infected patients (p less than 0.001). A clinically more severe hepatitis was seen significantly more often among the HDV co-infected patients than among the solely HBV infected.