HEPATITIS D

Hepatitis delta virus (HDV) is an unusual human pathogen with a worldwide distribution that causes a form of severe and often progressive liver disease, namely, hepatitis D. 21,25 It is a natural subviral satellite of the hepatitis B virus (HBV), which provides the envelope proteins needed for the assembly and release of HDV and for its attachment to hepatocytes in subsequent cycles of infection. 40,70 The molecular biology of HDV and the clinical and epidemiologic features of HDV infection are extremely interesting, and in several aspects, unique. 25,39,63 It is not surprising that despite its small impact compared with HBV and HCV in the cause of chronic viral hepatitis, the various facets of HDV infection continue to represent areas of ongoing research interest. This article reviews the virus and recent developments in the field of hepatitis D.