Prognosis for the patients with chronic hepatitis B

Area of Science:

• Hepatology
• Virology
• Immunology

Background:

• Chronic liver disease poses a significant global health burden.
• Hepatitis B virus (HBV) is a primary cause of chronic liver disease worldwide.
• Understanding HBV's role in disease progression is crucial for effective management.

Purpose of the Study:

• To determine the influence of hepatitis B virus (HBV) on the progression of chronic liver disease.
• To investigate HBV replication and mutant forms in patients with chronic liver disease.
• To assess the clinical outcomes of HBV-infected patients over a five-year period.

Main Methods:

• Prospective follow-up of 127 patients with histologically verified chronic liver disease for five years.
• Monitoring of HBV markers (HBsAg, HBeAg, anti-HBs, anti-HBc, anti-HBe, HBVDNA) and other viral markers (anti-HCV, anti-D).
• Classification of disease severity and assessment of liver function using Child-Pugh score.

Main Results:

• HBV infection was associated with severe chronic hepatitis, including chronic active hepatitis (CAH) and cirrhosis (CH).
• HBV replication (HBVDNA positive) was detected in 44.20% of patients, with mutant forms in 26.08%.
• Patients with HBV-related cirrhosis maintained Child-Pugh A grade despite progressive disease, and HBsAg-negative patients with HBV markers also showed severe hepatitis.

Conclusions:

• HBV infection significantly contributes to severe chronic liver disease progression.
• The presence of HBV markers, even in HBsAg-negative individuals, indicates severe hepatitis.
• Effective antiviral therapies are needed, and vaccination is essential for HBV prevention.