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Update of chronic hepatitis B

Hejun Yuan1, William M Lee

  • 1Division of Digestive and Liver Diseases, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas 75390-8887, USA.

Current Opinion in Gastroenterology
|March 23, 2011
PubMed

Insights

Advances in chronic hepatitis B (CHB) treatment are reviewed. While many patients remain undiagnosed, new insights into Hepatitis B e antigen (HBeAg) seroconversion durability and Hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) kinetics offer improved understanding and potential for better outcomes.

Area of Science:

  • Hepatology and Viral Hepatitis Research
  • Clinical Infectious Diseases
  • Pharmacology and Therapeutics

Background:

  • A significant gap exists in the diagnosis and treatment of chronic hepatitis B (CHB) in the US, with an estimated two-thirds of patients unidentified.
  • Current CHB treatment guidelines include seven approved medications for adults and four for children.
  • Lack of awareness among medical professionals and at-risk populations contributes to underdiagnosis and undertreatment of CHB.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To review recent developments in the treatment of chronic hepatitis B (CHB).
  • To synthesize findings from published articles between December 2009 and November 2010 regarding CHB therapies.

Main Methods:

  • Systematic review of published literature on CHB treatment.
  • Analysis of data on approved medications, treatment endpoints, and emerging biomarkers.

Main Results:

  • Hepatitis B e antigen (HBeAg) seroconversion remains a key endpoint, but its durability with nucleoside analogue therapy is still under investigation.
  • Hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) seroclearance has been observed in some patients receiving antiviral therapy.
  • HBsAg quantitation and kinetics are emerging as potential predictors of treatment response and indicators of CHB natural history.

Conclusions:

  • Significant progress has been made in understanding the durability of HBeAg seroconversion.
  • The clinical importance of serum HBsAg kinetics is increasingly recognized in both treatment-naive and treated CHB patients.
  • Enhanced education programs are crucial to raise public and professional awareness of CHB's public health significance.
Abstract

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