Histological and immunohistochemical features in chronic delta hepatitis.

Forty-six liver biopsies from HBsAg Delta/anti-Delta serum positive patients with chronic hepatitis were compared with liver specimens from HBsAg positive Delta/antiDelta negative patients. The results indicate more severe histologic damage and inflammation among subjects who are serum-positive to the Delta system. Specific virus antigen was found in liver cell nuclei of almost all the Delta IR patients (93.5%). The rate of diffusion was directly proportional to the severity of histological lesions, which is in linea with the direct cytopathic effect of the Delta virus as ascertained in various other studies.