Professional paper
Hepatitis B – still the commonest sexually transmitted hepatitis in Croatia
Boris Vucelić
; Medicinski fakultet u Zagrebu, Klinika za unutrašnje bolesti KBC Zagreb, Zavod za gastroenterologiju i hepatologiju, Zagreb, Hrvatska
Abstract
Hepatitis B is a global public health problem. Approximately one third of the world population has serological evidence of past or present infection with hepatitis B virus (HBV), with more than 350 million people chronically infected, of whom roughly one million die annually from HBV-related liver disease (liver cirrhosis, hepatocellular cancer). The predominant mode of transmission of HBV varies in different areas of the world. In countries like Croatia, unprotected sexual intercourse and intravenous drug use in adults are major routes of transmission. Risk of chronicity depends on the age at infection and resultant immune maturity. Chronic carriers of HBV are at increased risk of developing liver cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). The goals of therapy for hepatitis B are eradication of virus in the early stage of disease and continuous suppression of viral replication in chronic disease, thus preventing the progression of cirrhosis and HCC. Drugs approved for the treatment of HBV infection in Europe are conventional interferon alpha, pegylated interferon alpha, lamivudine, telbivudine, entecavir, adefovir and tenofovir. The usual indications for treatment are serum HBV DNA>2000 IU/mL (>10 000 copies/mL), elevated aminotransferase levels and moderate to severe necroinflammatory activity and/or fibrosis. Preventive measures are most important in persons at risk of aquiring infection.
Keywords
Hepatitis B; sexual transmission; treatment; prophylaxis
Hrčak ID:
63718
URI
Publication date:
30.9.2010.
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