Related Experiment Video
Updated: Apr 11, 2026
"Liver-on-a-Chip" Cultures of Primary Hepatocytes and Kupffer Cells for Hepatitis B Virus Infection
Published on: February 19, 2019
Hepatitis B among Inuit: A review with focus on Greenland Inuit
Karsten Fleischer Rex1, Stig Andersen1, Henrik Bygum Krarup1
1Karsten Fleischer Rex, Stig Andersen, Department of Internal Medicine, Queen Ingrid's Hospital, Nuuk 3900, Greenland.
Insights
Hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection is common in the Arctic, particularly Greenland. Despite high exposure and chronic infection rates among Inuit, liver disease is rare, warranting further research into protective factors.
Area of Science:
- Hepatology
- Infectious Diseases
- Arctic Health
Background:
- Hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection presents a variable clinical course, with chronic infection potentially leading to severe liver disease like cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma.
- HBV infection, though low in prevalence globally, remains a significant health concern due to its severe consequences.
- The Arctic region, particularly Greenland, exhibits endemic HBV, with chronic infection markers in up to 29% of some populations.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review the epidemiology, monitoring, and treatment of Hepatitis B virus infection in the Arctic.
- To focus on Greenlandic Inuit and compare findings with other Arctic Inuit populations (Canada, Alaska, Siberia).
- To investigate the apparent paradox of rare liver disease manifestation in Inuit populations despite high HBV exposure and chronic infection rates.
Main Methods:
- Review of serologic markers and epidemiological data on HBV infection in Arctic populations.
- Analysis of long-term survey data spanning over four decades among Arctic Inuit.
- Comparative analysis of HBV infection and liver disease prevalence across different Inuit groups in the Arctic.
Main Results:
- Chronic HBV infection is endemic in the Arctic, with significant seroprevalence in Greenlandic Inuit.
- A notable observation is the infrequent occurrence of liver disease among Inuit, even with high rates of HBV exposure and chronic infection.
- These epidemiological patterns have remained consistent over extensive periods of observation.
Conclusions:
- HBV infection is a significant public health issue in the Arctic, with distinct epidemiological characteristics in Inuit populations.
- The low incidence of liver disease in HBV-infected Inuit suggests potential genetic or environmental factors conferring protection.
- Further research is crucial to understand these protective mechanisms and inform public health strategies for HBV management in the Arctic.
Abstract:
Hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection is a disease with a highly variable course. Chronic HBV infection may cause end-stage liver disease including cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma, which is the 3(rd) most common cause of cancer related death due to the poor prognosis. The prevalence of HBV infection is low in many countries. Still, it remains important due to the potential consequences of the disease. HBV is endemic in the Arctic with serologic markers of chronic HBV infection in up to 29% of the population in some areas in Greenland. Interestingly, Inuit populations rarely show signs of liver disease despite the fact that around half of all Inuit has been exposed to HBV and around 8% of Inuit are chronically infected with HBV. These findings have been consistent in surveys conducted for more than four decades among Arctic Inuit. We thus review HBV infection in the Arctic with focus on Greenland Inuit and compared with Inuit in Canada, Alaska and Siberia. The aspects described include epidemiology and monitoring of the disease, as well as treatment and the risk of liver cancer.
