Hepatitis D Virus: An Overview for Dentists
Nima Mahboobi *
Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
Stephen R. Porter
Department of Oral Medicine, Eastman Dental Institute for Oral Health Care Sciences, University College London, University of London, England.
Mario Rizzetto
Division of Gastroenterology, University of Torino, Molinette, c.so Bramante 88, Torino 10126, Italy.
Seyed Moayed Alavian
Middle East Liver Diseases Center (MELD Center), Tehran, Iran.
*Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Abstract
Hepatitis D is considered to be the most severe form of viral hepatitis. This virus requires hepatitis B for its life cycle and it is estimated that at least 5% of hepatitis B virus infected patients are also infected with hepatitis D, counting for 15 million infections worldwide most optimistically. Hepatitis D has a similar transmission pattern to hepatitis B and hepatitis C viruses. However, there is less information about the virus of hepatitis D than about the other agents of viral hepatitis. In particular, there is total lack of information on hepatitis D in the setting of dental diseases and management. To our knowledge, there are only few reports on hepatitis D of dental health care workers (DHCW), the association of hepatitis D with oral conditions and on the role of oral fluid in transmission of hepatitis D. The present report reviews current knowledge of hepatitis D for dentists and dental personnel. Therefore, epidemiology, transmission modes, sign and symptoms, diagnostic methods and treatment options of hepatitis D are discussed under relevant subheadings.
Keywords: Hepatitis D, dentistry, infection control, transmission, epidemiology, Hepatitis B, review article.