Background and aims: The relevance of chronic hepatitis delta results from its high morbidity leading frequently to rapid cirrhosis progression. The aim of the present study was the socioepidemiological characterization of patients with hepatitis delta, in order to identify patients at risk for hepatitis delta.
Patients and methods: Clinical parameters of 36 consecutive patients with chronic hepatitis delta, seen between 1989 and 2002 at the University Hospital in Düsseldorf, were evaluated for the present study. Socioepidemiological parameters, available in 31 of these patients who returned a questionnaire, were compared to data of the population of Nordrhein-Westfalen (NRW).
Results: Liver cirrhosis was found in 33.3% of patients. There was a mean delay of 3 years between the diagnosis of hepatitis B and D. Patients with delta hepatitis were characterized by lower education, were more frequently unemployed, exhibited less qualified work and had less property compared to the population of NRW. 86.1% of hepatitis delta patients were immigrants to Germany. Before 1995 hepatitis delta infections were mainly seen in patients from Southern Europe (75%), whereas after 1996 predominantly patients from Eastern Europe and the former Soviet Union (53.6%; p < 0.04) contributed to the newly diagnosed cases of hepatitis delta.
Conclusions: The present data underline that hepatitis delta is a severe disease. It seems reasonable to intensify screening for hepatitis delta among patients with low socioeconomic status, especially among immigrants of Eastern Europe and the former Soviet Union.