HBV Biomarkers and Their Role in Guiding Treatment Decisions

Lung-Yi Mak; Tobias Boettler; Upkar S. Gill

doi:10.1055/a-2448-4157

Seminars in Liver Disease, Inhaltsverzeichnis

Semin Liver Dis 2024; 44(04): 474-491
DOI: 10.1055/a-2448-4157

Review Article

HBV Biomarkers and Their Role in Guiding Treatment Decisions

Autoren

Lung-Yi Mak

¹Barts Liver Centre, Blizard Institute, Barts and The London School of Medicine and Dentistry, Queen Mary University of London, London, United Kingdom

²Department of Medicine, Queen Mary Hospital, School of Clinical Medicine, The Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
Tobias Boettler

³Department of Medicine II (Gastroenterology, Hepatology, Endocrinology and Infectious Diseases), Freiburg University Medical Center, Faculty of Medicine, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
Upkar S. Gill

¹Barts Liver Centre, Blizard Institute, Barts and The London School of Medicine and Dentistry, Queen Mary University of London, London, United Kingdom

Abstract

Over 300 million individuals worldwide are chronically infected with hepatitis B virus and at risk for progressive liver disease. Due to the lack of a therapy that reliably achieves viral elimination and the variability of liver disease progression, treatment decisions are guided by the degree of liver disease and viral biomarkers as the viral life-cycle is well characterized and largely conserved between individuals. In contrast, the immunological landscape is much more heterogeneous and diverse and the measurement of its components is less well standardized. Due to the lack of a universal and easily measurable set of biomarkers, clinical practice guidelines remain controversial, aiming for a balance between simplifying treatment decisions by reducing biomarker requirements and using all available biomarkers to avoid overtreatment of patients with low risk for disease progression. While approved therapies such as nucleos(t)ide analogs improve patient outcomes, the inability to achieve a complete cure highlights the need for novel therapies. Since no treatment candidate has demonstrated universal efficacy, biomarkers will remain important for treatment stratification. Here, we summarize the current knowledge on virological and immunological biomarkers with a specific focus on how they might be beneficial in guiding treatment decisions in chronic hepatitis B.

Keywords

functional cure - finite treatment - risk stratification - treatment response - host–viral interaction

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Referenzen

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