Therapy for chronic hepatitis B: the earlier, the better?

摘要

It has been recently reported that uninfected hepatocytes that repopulate the liver following clearance of a chronic hepatitis B virus infection are derived from previously infected cells. As these cells accumulate genetic damage over the course of infection, the risk of liver cancer arising from this damage might not be eliminated by viral clearance. Therefore, initiation of antiviral therapy early in the course of infection to prevent the accumulation of this damage is proposed to be the best course of action.