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Chronic Hepatitis B Virus Infection: Interferon Therapy and Long-Term Outcomes

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Hepatitis B Virus and Liver Disease

Abstract

Pegylated interferon-alfa (PegIFNa) is currently one of the first-line treatment options for patients with chronic hepatitis B. Advantages of PegIFNa therapy include the finite duration and the possibility of sustained immunological control, including even HBsAg loss, while its major limitations are the risk of adverse effects and the relatively limited response rates. Therefore, careful patient selection for PegIFNa therapy is warranted. In the last decades, several studies have focused on assessing the rates and predictors of response to PegIFNa treatment in HBeAg-positive and HBeAg-negative chronic hepatitis B. Reliable stopping rules based on on-treatment HBsAg levels have now been developed and should be applied in order to promptly discontinue PegIFNa in patients with no or poor chances of response. PegIFNa has also been investigated as part of combined regimen with a nucleos(t)ide analog, but no clear advantage of any such combination has been shown to date. Sustained responses after PegIFNa treatment in chronic hepatitis B patients are usually maintained over time, and therefore, the long-term outcome of such sustained responders is usually excellent, as they have amelioration of liver histological lesions, reduced risk of hepatocellular carcinoma and improved overall survival.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. University College of London, Institute of Liver and Digestive Health, Royal Free Hospital, London, UK

    Margarita Papatheodoridi

  2. Department of Gastroenterology, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, “Laiko” General Hospital of Athens, Menemeni, Greece

    George Papatheodoridis

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Correspondence to George Papatheodoridis .

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  1. Hepatitis Research Center, National Taiwan University Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan

    Jia-Horng Kao

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Papatheodoridi, M., Papatheodoridis, G. (2021). Chronic Hepatitis B Virus Infection: Interferon Therapy and Long-Term Outcomes. In: Kao, JH. (eds) Hepatitis B Virus and Liver Disease. Springer, Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-16-3615-8_12

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