Clinical and histologic aspects of chronic delta hepatitis

Clinical and histologic valuation of delta chronic hepatitis is performed by a comparison between 46 HDV markers seropositive patients and an analogous group of HBsAg seropositive and delta system negative patients. It is possible to point out a greater seriousness of clinical and biohumoral situation during a HDV induced disease which is joined up with a more marked histologic damage and a greater inflammatory activity. The presence of specific viral antigen in hepatocyte nucleus suggests a delta-virus direct cytopathic effect.