Evidence map›Paper›PMID 42350999›Full record

ArticleBMC infectious diseases2026

Prevalence and biomarker profiles of HBV/HDV coinfection and occult HBV infection among patients attending Bimbilla Hospital, Northern Ghana.

Eric Nana Yaw Nyarko, Kenneth Tachi, Justice Kumi, Aliu Issahaku, Ebenezer Kwabena Amakye, Manfred Anim, Mildred Adusei-Poku, Nafisa Akua Assan, Isaac Kwame Sraku, Monica Adom and 5 more

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Article in BMC infectious diseases, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

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1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

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Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

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No citing paper in PubMed yet.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

15 authors.

Eric Nana Yaw Nyarko *Department of Chemical Pathology, University of Ghana Medical School, College of Health Sciences, University of Ghana, Accra, Ghana. eynyarko@ug.edu.gh.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-3757-2569
Kenneth Tachi *Department of Medicine and Therapeutics, University of Ghana Medical School, University of Ghana, Accra, Ghana.
Justice KumiDepartment of Clinical Pathology, Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research, College of Health Sciences, University of Ghana, Accra, Ghana.
Aliu IssahakuDepartment of Chemical Pathology, University of Ghana Medical School, College of Health Sciences, University of Ghana, Accra, Ghana.
Ebenezer Kwabena AmakyeDepartment of Biomedical Laboratory Sciences, School of Allied Health Sciences, University for Development Studies, Tamale, Ghana.
Manfred AnimDepartment of Gastroenterology, Hepatology, Infectious Diseases and Endocrinology, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany. Anim.manfred@mh-hannover.de.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0003-4745-8505
Mildred Adusei-PokuDepartment of Medical Microbiology, University of Ghana Medical School, College of Health Sciences, University of Ghana, Accra, Ghana.
Nafisa Akua AssanDepartment of Chemical Pathology, University of Ghana Medical School, College of Health Sciences, University of Ghana, Accra, Ghana.
Isaac Kwame SrakuDepartment of Medical Microbiology, University of Ghana Medical School, College of Health Sciences, University of Ghana, Accra, Ghana.
Monica AdomDepartment of Medical Microbiology, University of Ghana Medical School, College of Health Sciences, University of Ghana, Accra, Ghana.
Isaac Kpabitey LawerDepartment of Chemical Pathology, University of Ghana Medical School, College of Health Sciences, University of Ghana, Accra, Ghana.
Abass Abdul-KarimTamale Zonal Public Health and Reference Laboratory, Tamale, Ghana.
Emmanuel Kwaku OforiDepartment of Chemical Pathology, University of Ghana Medical School, College of Health Sciences, University of Ghana, Accra, Ghana.
Henry Asare-AnaneDepartment of Chemical Pathology, University of Ghana Medical School, College of Health Sciences, University of Ghana, Accra, Ghana.
Christian ObirikorangDepartment of Molecular Medicine, School of Medicine and Dentistry, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi, Ghana.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

BACKGROUND &

aimsCoinfection of hepatitis B virus (HBV) with hepatitis D virus (HDV) may exacerbate liver injury, particularly in resource-limited settings. In Ghana, data on HDV and OBI prevalence, as well as their hepatic impact, remain sparse. This study aimed to determine the prevalence of HDV and OBI using real-time PCR and evaluate their effects on liver-related biomarkers in patients at Bimbila Hospital, Northern Ghana.

methodsWe conducted a cross-sectional study at Bimbilla Hospital, Northern Ghana, between May and December 2024, recruiting 60 consented patients with Hepatitis B Surface Antigen positive and 60 patients with HBsAg-negative status. HBV serology (HBsAg, HBeAg, anti-HBs, total anti-HBc) was performed using a 5-in-1 panel. HBV DNA and HDV RNA were detected by real-time PCR. HDV prevalence was determined among HBsAg-positive participants by real-time PCR detection of HDV RNA, while OBI prevalence was determined among HBsAg-negative participants by the presence of detectable HBV DNA using real-time PCR following serological screening. Liver biochemical, haematological, and inflammatory markers were measured, and fibrotic indices (APRI, FIB-4, PLR, GLR) were computed. Data were analysed using SPSS 26 and GraphPad Prism version 8.

resultsHDV RNA was detected in 11/60 HBsAg-positive participants (18.3%, 95% CI 10.66-29.9). OBI occurred in 5/60 HBsAg-negative participants (8.3%, 95% CI 3.6-18.1). Compared to HBV-monoinfected individuals, HBV/HDV-coinfected patients had higher Gamma-Glutamyltransferase (GGT;45.0 vs. 37.0 IU/L, p < 0.05), lower Albumin/Globulin Ratio (A/G;1.21 vs. 1.34, p < 0.05), elevated Granulocyte-to-Lymphocyte Ratio (GLR; 2.60 vs. 1.87, p < 0.05), and higher Platelet-to-Lymphocyte Ratio (PLR; 143.00 vs. 89.87, p < 0.05). HBV/HDV coinfected patients also showed elevated Aspartate Aminotransferase (AST), Alanine Aminotransferase (ALT), total bilirubin (TBIL), IBL, AST/ALT ratio (de Ritis), and Aspartate Aminotransferase-to-Platelet Ratio Index (APRI) scores compared to those with OBI.

conclusionIn Northern Ghana, HDV coinfection may be associated with significant alterations in GGT, AST, ALT, bilirubin levels, de-Ritis ratio, APRI, PLR, and GLR, with concurrent reduction in the A/G ratio, suggesting significant hepatic and inflammatory disturbances, whereas OBI may show no comparable biomarker alterations. CLINICAL TRIAL: Not applicable.

Indexed as

BiomarkersCoinfectionHepatitis BHepatitis DAdolescentAdultCross-Sectional StudiesDNA, ViralFemaleGhanaHepatitis B Surface AntigensHepatitis B virusHepatitis Delta VirusHumansMaleMiddle AgedBiomarkersDNA, ViralHepatitis B Surface AntigensBimbillaBiomarkersHepatitis delta virus (HDV)Occult hepatitis B infection (OBI)Resource-limited settings

Identifiers

PMID42350999
PMCPMC13563748

What Socratic holds

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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the Socratic graph.