| Theme | Prognosis of Liver Diseases | |
|---|---|---|
| Title | Prognosis of Patients with Chronic Hepatitis B | |
| Publish Date | 1997/10 | |
| Author | Hiroshi Yatsuhashi | Institute for Clinical Research, Nagasaki Chuo National Hospital |
| Author | Michitami Yano | Institute for Clinical Research, Nagasaki Chuo National Hospital |
| [ Summary ] | Many HBV carriers are infected by the route of vertical transmission. Although they are asymptomatic, appear healthy, and their liver function tests are generally normal, some healthy HBV carriers progress to active chronic hepatitis as adults. After active chronic hepatitis with severe inflammation, HBV replication becomes silent and patients can be broadly divided into liver cirrhosis (LC) and clinical cure. Chronic hepatitis B patients with liver cirrhosis but without inflammation have a high potential for developing hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). We compared the long term prognosis of patients with chronic hepatitis B between a no-treatment group and an IFN treatment group. The results showed that there was no difference in patient prognosis (incidence of LC, HCC and clinical cure) between the two groups. It is difficult to conclude that IFN treatment improves the prognosis of patients with hepatitis B. |
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