Pathogens Impacting Oral Health
Hepatitis Delta Virus (HDV)
HDV in Sjogren's Syndrome
Virus Discovery
Pathogens Impacting Oral Health
Hepatitis Delta Virus (HDV)
HDV in Sjogren's Syndrome
Virus Discovery
Hepatitis Delta Virus (HDV) is a satellite RNA that produces 2 viral antigens. This unique pathogen requires a helper virus for packaging and transmission (ex Hepatitis B Virus (HBV)). Once inside the cell, HDV can persist in the absence of an active helper virus infection. HDV antigen and seqeunce were identified in salivary gland tissue of Sjogren's syndrome patients. Expression of HDV antigens (HDAg) triggered a complete disease phenotype in vivo. Our ongoing research is focused on defining the underlying mechanisms of low-level HDV persistence and to identify how Sjogren's syndrome patients are being exposed to HDV.
Hepatitis Delta Virus is not under active surveillance in many countries around the world. Additionally, compliance in testing HBV+ patients for HDV is limited. The lack of active surveillance and testing limits our capacity to detect low-level or dispersed changes in HDV epidemiology. The Weller Lab has mined publicly accessible infectious disease datasets from around the world that contain HDV and HBV yearly diagnoses. Data resources available through GlobalHDV.com will provide links to publicly accessible infectious disease datasets and will be updated as more datasets are identified. Our goal is to share these extraordinary datasets with the international HDV research community and the public to promote collaboration and advancement in our understanding of Hepatitis Delta Virus.
The Weller Lab at the University of Utah School of Dentistry studies viral profiles associated with the development of chronic oral disease, including Sjogren's syndrome. Dr. Melodie Weller previously identified HDV antigen and sequence in salivary glands. Her lab continues to evaluate the underlying mechanisms of HDV-mediated autoimmunity, international HDV epidemiology and alternative HDV reservoirs supporting exposure in the Sjogren's syndrome patient population.
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