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Key Clinical Updates in Chronic Viral Hepatitis
In 2019, the American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases and the Infectious Diseases Society of America recommended two preferred regimens for hepatitis C: glecaprevir and pibrentasvir for 8 weeks for genotypes 1-6, and sofosbuvir and velpatasvir for 12 weeks for genotypes 1, 2, 4, 5, or 6.
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ESSENTIALS OF DIAGNOSIS
Defined by chronic infection (HBV, HCV, HDV) for longer than 3–6 months.
Diagnosis is usually made by antibody tests and viral nucleic acid in serum.
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General Considerations
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Chronic hepatitis is defined as chronic necroinflammation of the liver of more than 3–6 months’ duration, demonstrated by persistently elevated serum aminotransferase levels or characteristic histologic findings, often in the absence of symptoms. In many cases, the diagnosis of chronic hepatitis may be made on initial presentation. The causes of chronic hepatitis include HBV, HCV, and HDV as well as autoimmune hepatitis; alcoholic and nonalcoholic steatohepatitis; certain medications, such as isoniazid and nitrofurantoin; Wilson disease; alpha-1-antiprotease deficiency; and, rarely, celiac disease. Mortality from chronic HBV and HCV infection has been rising in the United States, and HCV has surpassed HIV as a cause of death. Chronic hepatitis is categorized on the basis of etiology (eFigure 16–11) (eFigure 16–12); the grade of portal, periportal, and lobular inflammation (minimal, mild, moderate, or severe); and the stage of fibrosis (none, mild, moderate, severe, cirrhosis). In the absence of advanced cirrhosis, patients are often asymptomatic or have mild nonspecific symptoms. The World Health Organization has outlined a strategy for eliminating chronic viral hepatitis by 2030 (by measures such as vaccinating against hepatitis B, ensuring blood safety and injection safety, timely birth dosing of hepatitis B vaccine, harm reduction from injecting drug use, and testing and treating persons coinfected with hepatitis viruses and HIV).
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1. CHRONIC HEPATITIS B & CHRONIC HEPATITIS D
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Clinical Findings & Diagnosis
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Chronic hepatitis B afflicts 248 million people worldwide (2 billion overall have been infected; endemic areas include Asia and sub-Saharan Africa) and up to 2.2 million (predominantly males) in the United States. It may be noted as a continuum of acute hepatitis B or diagnosed because of repeated detection of HBsAg in serum, often with elevated aminotransferase levels.
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Five phases of chronic HBV infection are recognized: immune tolerant phase, immune active (or immune clearance) phase, inactive HBsAg carrier state, reactivated chronic hepatitis B phase, and the HBsAg-negative phase. In the ...