This Article  • Full text  • PDF  • Send to a friend  • Save in My Folder  • Save to citation manager  • Permissions  Citing Articles  • Citation map  • Citing articles on HighWire  • Citing articles on ISI (2)  • Contact me when this article is cited  Related Content  • Related article  • Similar articles in this journal  Topic Collections  • Liver/ Biliary Tract/ Pancreatic Diseases  • Viral Infections  • Alert me on articles by topic

Who, When, and How?

Arch Intern Med. 2006;166:9-12.

	Since this article does not have an abstract, we have provided the first 150 words of the full text and any section headings.

Despite the availability of safe and effective vaccines for more than 2 decades, worldwide there are approximately 350 million hepatitis B virus (HBV) carriers. Our understanding of the natural history of chronic HBV infection has steadily evolved over the past few decades. Availability of sensitive HBV DNA assays and application of sophisticated immunologic techniques have led to the recognition that HBV replication persists throughout the course of chronic HBV infection, and host immune response plays a pivotal role in HBV-related liver disease and recovery. Knowledge that HBV replicates via reverse transcription of an RNA intermediate, a process similar to human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) replication, has led to rapid development in HBV treatments, many of which were initially developed for treatment of HIV infection.

NATURAL HISTORY OF CHRONIC HBV INFECTION

Understanding the natural history of chronic HBV infection is crucial in determining when treatment should be initiated and in establishing realistic goals of treatment. The Figure depicts . . . [Full Text of this Article]

Phase 1: Immune Tolerance

Phase 2: Immune Clearance

Phase 3: Inactive Carrier State

Phase 4: Reactivation of HBV Replication

GOALS OF TREATMENT

EFFICACY OF APPROVED TREATMENTS FOR CHRONIC HEPATITIS B

TREATMENT OF CHRONIC HEPATITIS B: WHO, WHEN, AND HOW?

INVESTIGATIONAL THERAPIES

AUTHOR INFORMATION
Stephen N. Wong, MD; Anna S. F. Lok, MD

RELATED ARTICLE

A Double-blind Placebo-Controlled Study of Emtricitabine in Chronic Hepatitis B
Seng Gee Lim, Tay Meng Ng, Nelson Kung, Zahary Krastev, Miroslava Volfova, Petr Husa, Samuel S. Lee, Sing Chan, Mitchell L. Shiffman, Mary Kay Washington, Amy Rigney, Jane Anderson, Elsa Mondou, Andrea Snow, Jeff Sorbel, Richard Guan, Franck Rousseau, and for the Emtricitabine FTCB-301 Study Group
Arch Intern Med. 2006;166(1):49-56.
ABSTRACT | FULL TEXT  

THIS ARTICLE HAS BEEN CITED BY OTHER ARTICLES

Food and Drug Administration
Horton
BMJ 2007;334:55-56.
FULL TEXT  

Treatment of Chronic Hepatitis B with Emtricitabine
JWatch General 2006;2006:2-2.
FULL TEXT