Citation

Cheung TK, Lai CL. Hong Kong Practitioner 2004; 26(7): 309-314.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2004)

DOI

unavailable

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

More than 400 million people worldwide are chronically infected by the hepatitis B virus and the majority of these are Asians. Major breakthroughs have been achieved in the diagnosis and treatment of this virus. The currently available therapeutic agents include interferon, lamivudine, and adefovir dipivoxil. They rarely eradicate the virus, but greatly reduce its replication, necroinflammatory histological activity, and the progression of liver fibrosis. Their indications and uses are discussed in detail in this article. Some of the therapeutic agents under clinical trials at present are also described.

Language: en

Keywords

human; nephrotoxicity; depression; liver biopsy; drug use; suicide attempt; clinical trial; liver transplantation; mood disorder; lamivudine; Asian; fatigue; article; anorexia; mental disease; autoimmune disease; thrombocytopenia; disease course; patient referral; drug mechanism; steroid; nonhuman; drug safety; placebo; drug potentiation; drug efficacy; drug tolerability; leukopenia; alpha interferon; flu like syndrome; diagnostic procedure; deterioration; drug indication; histopathology; patient selection; hepatitis B; antiretrovirus agent; drug dose regimen; chronic hepatitis; eradication therapy; peginterferon; thyroid disease; adefovir dipivoxil; Hepatitis B virus; thymosin; clevudine; emtricitabine; entecavir; hair loss; hypophosphatemia; idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura; kidney function; kidney tubule disorder; liver fibrosis; liver necrosis; nucleoside analog; nucleotide derivative; tenofovir; virus DNA; virus replication; virus resistance