Mária Szántová, Ľubomír Skladaný, Jozef Glasa
Chronic hepatitis B is the most common liver viral infection in the world. 350-400 million people are infected, more in developing as in developed countries. Therapeutic tools include interpheron α2a/α2b, or pegylated interpheron or nuclet(s)id analogues (NA: adefovir, entecavir, lamivudin, telbivudin). Pegylated interpheron, adefovir or entecavir are the treatment of the firstline choice. Lamivudin should not be used as the first-line drug because of its poor resistance profile. Combination of NA or switching to another NA may be warranted in patients with resistance to 1 drug, cirrhosis, HBV/HIV co-infection and/or a poor response to an initial drug. In HBeAg(+) patients who achieved seroconversion, the treatment shoud be continued for 6-12 months postseroconversion to reduce the risk of seroreversion. In HBeAg(-) patients with HBV DNA ≥ 2000 IU/ml and moderate/severe histological changes treatment with pegylated interpheron should be recommended for 48 weeks or treatment with NA should be continued until the patient has achieved HBsAg clearance.