HEPATITIS-DELTA VIRUS-INFECTION - MOLECULAR-BIOLOGY AND TREATMENT

Hepatitis delta virus is a defective human infectious agent which caus es severe hepatic damage in hepatitis B virus-infected patients. Altho ugh prophylactic steps and the development, in certain countries, of e fficient vaccination programs against hepatitis B virus have led to a diminution of the incidence rate of this disease, hepatitis D is still an important health problem. Hepatitis D infection is therefore assoc iated with a worse clinical evolution than hepatitis B infection alone . On the other hand, the different therapeutic strategies being assaye d at present including the use of interferon, have shown to be ineffic ient in the treatment of this disease. In this article, different aspe cts of the molecular biology and natural history of the infection, spe cially focused on those unknown aspects of this virus, are discussed. Finally, we have included a revision of the current state of hepatitis D treatment, as well as a comment of the new experimental strategies, like the use of antisense probes and trans-ribozyme activities.