Seroprevalence of hepatitis D among hepatitis B-infected patients attending the viral hepatitis treatment unit in Alexandria, Egypt: a prospective cross-sectional observational study
BMC Infectious Diseases·
- DOI
- 10.1186/s12879-026-13956-6
- PMID
- —
- PMCID
- —
- OpenAlex
- W7203469548
- Study type
- Cross-sectional study
- Publisher
- Springer Science and Business Media LLC
- Article type
- journal-article
- Integrity
- current
Why this research matters now
The observed exposure frequency underscores a notable co-infection burden within this regional hepatitis B population, indicating that routine diagnostic evaluation could enhance case identification in comparable healthcare environments.
Structured evidence summary
Research question
The investigation sought to quantify prior hepatitis D exposure among hepatitis B carriers in Alexandria, Egypt, and to characterize associated clinical and laboratory profiles.
Study design
Researchers performed a prospective cross-sectional observational analysis using data gathered over a twelve-month interval at a dedicated university-affiliated clinic.
Population and setting
The cohort consisted of 158 adult individuals confirmed to be hepatitis B surface antigen positive who presented to a specialized Egyptian treatment facility between September 2022 and August 2023.
Main findings
Serum testing indicated that approximately nineteen percent of the group had previously encountered hepatitis D. Participants with positive markers were typically older, exhibited elevated liver enzymes, showed a greater proportion of substantial fibrosis, maintained lower viral loads, and experienced hepatic encephalopathy more frequently than those without hepatitis D indicators.
Public-health relevance
The observed exposure frequency underscores a notable co-infection burden within this regional hepatitis B population, indicating that routine diagnostic evaluation could enhance case identification in comparable healthcare environments.
Important limitations
The analysis depended on a single-center recruitment approach and a finite participant count, which inherently restricts the broader generalizability of the observed correlations.
GIDS interpretation
This publication supplies localized epidemiological context regarding hepatitis D seropositivity within a defined hepatitis B cohort, functioning as a baseline reference for regional health tracking frameworks without implying active transmission monitoring.
Related GIDS surveillance
Literature context does not validate, explain, or change a surveillance signal. Exact and contextual relationships are shown separately.
Evidence relationships
This article has 9 auditable classifier relationships to diseases, places, topics, and study design.