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Review
. 2014 Apr 27;6(4):226-9.
doi: 10.4254/wjh.v6.i4.226.

To treat or not to treat the "immunotolerant phase" of hepatitis B infection: A tunnel of controversy

Mohamed A Mekky  1
Affiliations
Review

To treat or not to treat the "immunotolerant phase" of hepatitis B infection: A tunnel of controversy

Mohamed A Mekky. World J Hepatol. .

Abstract

Hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection is a global public health problem, with an estimated 350 million people worldwide chronically infected and approximately 500000 who die annually from HBV-related liver diseases. Management of chronic HBV is challenging and waves of guidelines emerge every year. One of the hottest topics and a matter of debate is the management of patients in their early immunotolerant phase of infection. With the lack of evidence, dealing with this particular subset of patients creates a great conflict with opposing views. In this review, the author highlights the pros and cons of these views and proposes a reasonable solution to resolve this dilemma.

Keywords: Hepatitis B Virus; Immunotolerant phase; Liver biopsy; Nucleotide analogue; Polymerase chain reaction.

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