Hepatitis delta virus (HDV) RNA forms an unbranched rod structure that is associated with hepatitis delta antigen (HDAg) in cells replicating HDV. Previous in vitro binding experiments using bacterially expressed HDAg showed that the formation of a minimal ribonucleoprotein complex requires an HDV unbranched rod RNA of at least about 300 nucleotides (nt) and suggested that HDAg binds the RNA as...

The genome of hepatitis delta virus (HDV) is a small single-stranded circular RNA that is replicated via RNA-directed RNA synthesis. This makes use of a host RNA polymerase, probably pol II, that normally transcribes DNA templates. In vivo, the host polymerase can initiate replication from transfected linear RNAs using intramolecular template-switching. The present studies report that the polym...

The structure and replication of the single-stranded circular RNA genome of hepatitis delta virus (HDV) are unique relative to those of known animal viruses, and yet there are real similarities between HDV and certain infectious RNAs of plants. Therefore, since some of the latter RNAs have been shown to undergo in vitro site-specific cleavage and even ligation, we tested the hypothesis that sim...

INTRODUCTION Hepatitis delta virus (HDV) is an incomplete virus dependent on hepatitis B virus (HBV) for its multiplication. It can infect individuals with active HBV infection and cause severe liver disease. It is less prevalent than hepatitis B virus, but it causes more serious clinical pictures. In this study we investigated anti-HDV seroprevalance and epidemiological features among HBsAg se...

evidence has shown that liver disease caused by hepatitis viruses can be more aggressive and severe in hiv infected subjects. therefore, the present cross-sectional study aimed to evaluate the seroprevalence of hdv infection among hiv/hbv co-infected clients in shiraz, southwest iran. in this study, 178 patients co-infected with hbv and hiv individuals were enrolled. the diagnosis of hiv infect...

Hepatitis delta virus (HDV) is a defective RNA virus with similarities to unusual subviral pathogens of higher plants. It requires hepatitis B virus (HBV) for its replication/transmission, and HBV-infected humans are the only established host. HDV causes both severe acute hepatitis and rapidly progressive chronic disease in some individuals. The HDV life cycle involves remarkable features, such...

Chronic Hepatitis B (HBV) and Hepatitis C (HCV) virus infections are global health problems which may cause cirrhosis and even hepatocellular carcinoma. Hepatitis D virus (HDV) though a satellite virus of HBV, can also cause chronic infection. Serologic and molecular tools are needed for the diagnosis, monitoring and therapeutic management of chronic viral hepatitis associated with HBV, HDV and...

The hepatitis delta virus (HDV) is a subviral agent that utilizes the envelope proteins of the hepatitis B virus (HBV) for cell to cell propagation. In infected human hepatocytes, the HDV RNA genome can replicate and associate with multiple copies of the delta protein to assemble a ribonucleoprotein (RNP). However the RNP cannot exit the cell because of the lack of an export system. This is pro...