Immune tolerant hepatitis B patients benefit from antiviral therapy

The use of antiviral therapy in patients with immune tolerant hepatitis B (HBV) prolongs overall survival, a new study has shown.

In addition, the study showed that the risks of developing Hepatocellular Carcinoma (HCC), the most common form of liver cancer, were significantly lowered, as well as the risk of liver cirrhosis.

In the immune tolerant stage, HBV actively replicates in the liver, but remains unrecognised by the immune system. Currently, the two treatment options for HBV immune tolerant patients are a pegylated interferon strategy, or nucleos(t)ide analogues.

Professor Jeong-Hoon Lee of the Liver Research Institute at Seoul National University, Korea and corresponding author of the study said: "Our study demonstrates that nucleos(t)ide analogue treatment offers promising results in reducing the risk of liver cancer and damage among those patients who have limited treatment options. 

"Furthermore, in contrast to the control group who received no treatment during immune tolerant phase, overall survival was significantly prolonged for those who received nucleos(t)ide analogue treatment."