Hepatitis Delta Virus, IgM Antibody Test Cost & Procedure

HBV-infected people get hepatitis D. Hepatitis D antibody and HBsAg are signs of coinfection. Chronic and fulminant hepatitis are more common in patients with hepatitis D.

Specifications Methods Immunoassay (IA)

Assessment Type

The FDA has not endorsed or cleared it. This test is used for clinical applications and has been validated in accordance with CLIA requirements.

Only when HBV is also infected does HDV infection occur. The presence of HDV IgM indicates either a recent/acute infection or a persistent infection with IgM. Testing for HDV RNA by PCR can potentially be used as a tool for infection diagnosis and staging.

Clinical Importance

IgM antibody to the Hepatitis D virus (HDV), EIA - Hepatitis D virus (HDV) infection only happens in conjunction with hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection. A positive HDV IgM test result means that you have either recently contracted HDV or have had a chronic HDV infection with IgM persistence.

Hepatitis Delta Virus IgM Antibodies: What Are They?

detection of mixed IgG and IgM total antibodies, which are specific for the hepatitis D virus (HDV), in human serum

diagnosis of concurrent HDV infection in people with fulminant chronic or acute hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection, chronic HBV infection, or acute exacerbation of known chronic HBV infection (HDV superinfection)

Claims information

The RNA virus known as delta hepatitis virus, or hepatitis D virus (HDV), has a faulty core and a protein coat made of the hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) and the delta antigen. As it needs the hepatitis B virus (HBV) to start and maintain its replication in the infected liver cells, this virus is unable to replicate successfully on its own.

Infection with HDV can happen either as an acute superinfection of chronic HBV or as an acute coinfection with HBV. Acute HBV-HDV coinfection often has a self-limited clinical course and spontaneous remission, however it is possible for it to manifest fulminantly. Acute exacerbations of chronic hepatitis B caused by HDV superinfection in people with chronic HBV or in people who are HBV carriers frequently lead to early cirrhosis or liver failure. In the United States, 1% of people with chronic HBV infection also have chronic HDV infection.

Diagnosis

Infected patients with clinically obvious acute or chronic hepatitis B can have HDV diagnosed by finding HDV antigen, HDV-specific IgM, or HDV-specific total antibodies (combined IgM and IgG). In the case of acute HDV infection, anti-HDV IgM normally first shows in serum 2 to 3 weeks after the onset of symptoms and fades by 2 months later, but it can linger for up to 9 months in cases of HDV superinfection. After acute HDV infection and chronic coinfection have cleared up, blood levels of HDV IgG and HDV total antibodies remain high.