Systematic Review of Antiviral Therapy for Hepatitis B Virus Associated Hepatic Failure

Effective antiviral treatment of hepatitis B virus (HBV)-associated fulminant hepatic failure is important. Professor Yuming Wang, from the Institute for Infectious Diseases of PLA, Southwest Hospital of the Third Military Medical University, Chongqing, China, reported a serious study on antiviral therapy for HBV associated hepatic failure. In this study, Professor Yuming Wang and his colleagues reviewed the current strategies used in the antiviral treatment of HBV-associated fulminant hepatic failure. They searched literature from PubMed on the related subjects and part of the material was based on the most recent work in the authors’ department.

Professor Wang pointed out that the efficacy of antiviral therapy by nucleos(t)ide analogues, particularly lamivudine (LAM), for HBV-associated hepatic failure hepatitis B has been well demonstrated. Successful and prolonged inhibition of viral replication can prevent recurrent HBV infection after orthotopic liver transplantation (OLT), delay the progress of liver cirrhosis, hepatic failure and reducing the risk for primary hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Combination therapies and newer agents such as entecavir, telbivudine, tenofovir and other nucleos(t)ide analogues have potential application in antiviral therapy and have become more and more widely used. The prognosis of HBV-associated fulminant hepatic failure is being dramatically changed by developments in antiviral therapy, and newer strategies may help to solve the current problems.