Treatment of chronic hepatitis

Chronic persistent hepatitis is a benign condition and special treatment is not necessary. Chronic active hepatitis is usually treated with prednisolone. Hepatitis B positive patient's respond less well than those who are negative. The management of the asymptomatic patient is discussed. In hepatitis B positive patients immuno-stimulation with transfer factor or levamasole has been tried but with little benefit. Antiviral chemotherapy with interferon is promising, but the drug is not generally available and is very costly. Adenine arabinoside (ArA) is more available and less expensive and may prove beneficial.