Advertisement

Thursday 6 March 2014

HEPATITIS B

Hepatitis B is caused by a virus, which can cause both acute and chronic hepatitis. Chronic hepatitis develops in the 15 per cent of patients who are unable to eliminate the virus after an initial infection. Identified methods of transmission include blood (blood transfusion, now rare), tattoos (both amateur and professionally done), sexually (through sexual intercourse or through contact with blood or bodily fluids), or via mother to child by breast feeding (minimal evidence of transplacental crossing). However, in about half of cases the source of infection cannot be determined. Blood contact can occur by sharing syringes in intravenous drug use, shaving accessories such as razor blades, or touching wounds on infected persons. Needle-exchange programmes have been created in many countries as a form of prevention. Patients with chronic hepatitis B have antibodies against hepatitis B, but these antibodies are not enough to clear the infection that establishes itself in the DNA of the affected liver cells. The continued production of virus combined with antibodies is a likely cause of immune complex disease seen in these patients. A vaccine is available that will prevent infection from hepatitis li for life. Hepatitis B infections result in 500,000 to 1,200,000 deaths per year worldwide due to the complications  of  chronic  hepatitis,   cirrhosis,   and patoceilular carcinoma. Hepatitis B is endemic in a number of {mainly South-East Asian) countries, making cirrhosis and hcpatocellular carcinoma big killers. There are six FDA approved treatment options available for persons with a cironic hepatitis B infection: alpha-interferon, pegylated nilcrferon adefovir, entecavir, telbivudine and lamivudine. About 45 per cent of persons on treatment achieved response.

No comments:

Post a Comment