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Abstract Details
Is HBsAg quantification ready, for prime time?
Chevaliez S. Clin Res Hepatol Gastroenterol. 2013 Aug 7. pii: S2210-7401(13)00147-2. doi: 10.1016/j.clinre.2013.07.004. [Epub ahead of print]
Source
Inserm U955, Department of Virology, Université Paris-Est, French National Reference Center for Viral Hepatitis B, C and delta, hôpital Henri-Mondor, 51, avenue du Maréchal-de-Lattre-de-Tassigny, 94010 Créteil, France. Electronic address: stephane.chevaliez@hmn.aphp.fr.
Abstract
Despite the availability of an efficient hepatitis B vaccine, approximately 240 million individuals are chronically infected with hepatitis B virus worldwide. One-fourth of hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg)-positive patients will develop complications, such as cirrhosis or hepatocellular carcinoma, both major causes of liver-related deaths. Antiviral therapies, such as pegylated interferon alpha or nucleoside/nucleotide analogues, are effective in suppressing HBV DNA and reducing the subsequent risk of fibrosis progression, cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma. HBsAg has proven to be a steady, reliable marker of chronic HBV carriage that can also be used to predict clinical outcomes. Three commercial enzyme immunoassays are now available for HBsAg quantification. A number of recent studies have shown clinical utility of HBsAg quantification in combination with HBV DNA levels to identify inactive carriers who need antiviral therapy and in interferon treated-patients in order to predict the virological response to pegylated interferon alpha.