HBeAg-Negative/Anti-HBe-Positive Chronic Hepatitis B: A 40-Year-Old History

Overview

Journal Viruses

Publisher MDPI

Specialty Microbiology

Date 2022 Aug 26

PMID 36016312

Authors

Ferruccio Bonino

Piero Colombatto

Maurizia R Brunetto

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Hepatitis B "e" antigen (HBeAg) negative chronic hepatitis B (CHB), 40 years since discovery in the Mediterranean area, has become the most prevalent form of HBV-induced liver disease worldwide and a major health care burden caused by HBV infection. A great deal of knowledge accumulated over the last decades provides consistent evidence on the bimodal dynamics of the expression of structural and non-structural forms of the viral core proteins which associate with different virologic and clinic-pathologic outcomes of HBV infection. In absence of serum HBeAg, the presence and persistence of HBV replication causes and maintains virus-related liver injury. Thus, in clinical practice it is mandatory to screen HBV carriers with HBeAg-negative infection for the early diagnosis of HBeAg-negative CHB since antiviral therapy can cure HBV-induced liver disease when started at early stages.

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