J Hepatol. 2023 May 5:S0168-8278(23)00317-3. doi: 10.1016/j.jhep.2023.05.001. Online ahead of print.
ABSTRACT
Hepatitis D virus (HDV) is a defective virus requiring the hepatitis B virus (HBV) to complete its life cycle and cause liver damage in humans. HDV is responsible for rare acute and chronic liver diseases and is considered the most aggressive hepatitis virus. Acute infection may associate with acute liver failure, while persistent infection is mostly accompanied by chronic hepatitis with a severe, progressive course leading to cirrhosis and its end-stage complications, hepatic decompensation and hepatocellular carcinoma. Major diagnostic and therapeutic innovations that are under way for HDV infection prompted the EASL Governing Board to establish specific Clinical Practice Guidelines setting out the identification of HDV-infected persons, their virologic and clinical characterization, prognostic assessment and appropriate clinical and therapeutic management.
PMID:37364791 | DOI:10.1016/j.jhep.2023.05.001