Description
This review aims to bring the practising gastroenterologist up to date with the major advances in viral hepatitis in the last two years which may have an impact on practice. The clinical impact of hepatitis B variants is discussed with particular regard to the growing importance of hepatitis B DNA (HBV-DNA) estimations. Lamivudine a newly described nucleoside analogue has a dramatic impact on the replication of hepatitis B (HBV) but relapse following treatment is common. Hepatitis C is associated with a bewildering variety of other conditions. The long term progression of hepatic fibrosis in hepatitis C (HCV) is dependent on three factors: age at infection, sex and alcohol consumption. HCV treatment remains unsatisfactory but recent advances include the addition of ribavirin to interferon which increases long term response rate. Hepatitis G (HGV) is yet to prove itself as a hepatitis virus.
