Updates in the treatment of chronic hepatitis B

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Do statins reduce the risk of hepatocellular carcinoma in patients with chronic hepatitis B?

In subjects with chronic hepatitis B (CHB), the lifetime risk of developing hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is estimated to be 25-37 times compared to non-infected subjects. The process of hepatocarcinogenesis is complex and involves well-documented host, viral, and environmental risk factors. The most important risks include host factors such as older age, male gender, the presence of cirrhosis, and viral factors such as the viral load, genotype, and the presence of basal core promoter mutations. To date, antiviral therapy is the only intervention demonstrated to significantly reduce the risk of HCC development in CHB patients. Although oxidative stress has been implicated in cancer development, there is no established benefit shown from treatment with antioxidizing agents such as silymarin, green tea, and vitamin E.published_or_final_versio

Future prevention and treatment of chronic hepatitis B infection

Vaccination for hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection and treatment for chronic hepatitis B, while effective for primary prevention and control of the disease, still have their limitations. Global coverage of HBV immunization needs improvement. Several patient populations are noted to have suboptimal seroprotective rates after HBV vaccination. There are currently several potential new vaccines undergoing animal and human studies, most notably vaccines containing immunostimulatory DNA sequences. Long-term nucleoside analogue therapy is necessary in achieving permanent virologic suppression. Potential new treatments explore new mechanisms of action, including the inhibition of hepatitis B surface antigen release, targeting antifibrotic mechanism, and immunomodulation through novel interferons and therapeutic vaccines. The clinical application of potential new vaccines and therapies would enhance the prevention of HBV infection and treatment of chronic hepatitis B. © 2012 by Lippincott Williams & Wilkins.postprin

Identification of hepatitis B virus DNA reverse transcriptase variants associated with partial response to entecavir

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COLD-PCR for early detection of hepatitis B virus antiviral drug resistance mutations

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Alterations of CD8+CD28- T cells in systemic lupus erythematosus and rheumatoid arthritis

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