In connection with a 2023 journal article authored by Zhenzhen Pan et al., exploring the effectiveness of serological antibody testing for Hepatitis D virus, the study concludes that HDV screening exhibits notable accuracy in serological testing. However, I am curious about how long are these HDV antibodies detectable through serological testing.
The duration of detectability in serum for HDV antibodies depends on the specific antibody type and the course of infection:
Anti-HDV IgM:
- Acute infection:Detectable within 2-3 weeks of symptom onset. Disappears 2 months after acute infection in most cases. However, elevated levels can be seen during flares in chronic HDV.
Anti-HDV IgG:
- Acute infection:Develops later than IgM, usually 4-6 weeks after symptom onset. May persist for several years and even lifelong in some cases.
- Chronic infection:Remains positive throughout the course of infection.
- Recovered infection:Can decline gradually over time, but may still be detectable for years in some individuals.
Important factors to consider:
- Individual variability: The duration of detectability can vary significantly between individuals due to factors like immune response and severity of infection.
- Test sensitivity: Different serological assays have varying sensitivities, which can affect the detection window.
- Chronic co-infection: Concurrent hepatitis B infection can influence the antibody response and persistence of both anti-HDV IgM and IgG.
Here are some resources for further information:
- Diagnostic Efficacy of Serological Antibody Detection Tests for Hepatitis Delta Virus: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/3944592/
- [Short communication: evaluation of the correlation between hepatitis D virus (HDV) RNA positivity and HDV antibodies]: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33159329/
- The serology of delta hepatitis and the detection of IgM anti-HD by EIA using serum derived delta antigen: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37943548/
In the case of anti-HDV IgM antibody, it is detectable within 2–3 weeks of symptom onset and it will disappear 2 months after acute infection, although anti-HDV IgM is also elevated in patients with chronic HDV during disease flares so the detection of anti-HDV IgM cannot conclusively distinguish between acute and chronic HDV infections making it ineffective for differentiating acute from chronic. On the other hand, after the development of anti-HDV IgM antibody, it is followed by anti-HDV IgG and in the case of anti-HDV IgG antibody, it is detectable within 4-6 weeks after symptom onset in acute infection. The infection may linger during the acute period for a number of years, or in certain circumstances, permanently. Furthermore, it will continue to test positive for antibodies during the chronic period using serological antibody detection tests and during the patient's recovery period, the symptoms fade away and eventually start to diminish, though on occasion they could still be detectable.
In summary, the duration of time that Hepatitis delta virus (HDV) antibodies can be detected in serum varies depending on the kind of antibody — anti-HDV IgM or anti-HDV IgG. Also, the duration of HDV antibody detection is influenced by the patterns of infection, or how long the symptoms persist.
References: Chen, L.-Y., Pang, X.-Y., Goyal, H., Yang, R.-X., & Xu, H.-G. (2021). Hepatitis D: Challenges in the estimation of true prevalence and laboratory diagnosis. Gut Pathogens, 13(1). https://doi.org/10.1186/s13099-021-00462-0
Delta agent hepatitis. Delta Agent Hepatitis - an overview | ScienceDirect Topics. (n.d.). https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/nursing-and-health-professions/delta-agent-hepatitis
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