Viral factors and predicting disease outcomes in chronic hepatitis B

One of the conundrums of chronic infection with the hepatitis B virus (HBV) is identifying those individual patients who are at risk for the development of the serious sequelae of cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). It has been estimated that 25–40% of patients with chronic hepatitis B (CHB) who acquire the virus early in life (perinatal or early horizontal transmission from an HBeAg-positive source) will eventually develop these serious and disastrous consequences.1 Viral factors associated with the outcome of CHB include hepatitis B e antigen (HBeAg) status, HBV DNA and HBsAg levels (>2000 IU/mL) in serum, HBV genotype and HBV variants, all of which have been shown to positively enhance the risk for disease progression.2–4 The viral variants considered significant risk factors include the basal core promoter (BCP) mutants A1762T/G1764A which have been strongly associated with the development of HCC.
Source: Gut - Category: Gastroenterology Authors: Tags: Commentary Source Type: research