Reactivation of viral hepatitis in immunosuppressed patients: an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.

摘要

Viral hepatitis is a common infection worldwide. It has been estimated that 350 million people worldwide have chronic Hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection and 250 million have hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection (N Engl J Med 1997;337:1733-1745; N Engl J Med 2001;345:41-52). Im-munosuppressive therapy may render patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) more vulnerable to reactivation of HBV and HCV infections. Over the past decade, the risk of reactivation of HBV and HCV infection became a critical issue for physicians managing patients with IBD who are increasingly receiving immu-nosuppressants.