Copyright
©The Author(s) 2021.
World J Gastroenterol. Jun 21, 2021; 27(23): 3249-3261
Published online Jun 21, 2021. doi: 10.3748/wjg.v27.i23.3249
Published online Jun 21, 2021. doi: 10.3748/wjg.v27.i23.3249
Type | Current management | Areas of development |
Hepatitis A | No specific drugs against HAV infection are available so far; thus treatment consists of supportive care; Prevention of HAV infection includes vaccination, immune globulin, and attention to hygienic practices | Public health campaigns to promote the prevention of hepatitis A; Raise awareness of indications for hepatitis A vaccination |
Hepatitis B | Entecavir, tenofovir disoproxil fumarate, tenofovir alafenamide fumarate, and pegylated interferon alpha are currently the first-line anti-HBV agents recommended for chronic hepatitis B treatment; Prevention of HBV infection is focused on vaccination; | Elimination or inactivation of HBV cccDNA is the major focus of HBV research; Targeted therapies to HBV (immunomodulatory therapies and gene silencing technologies are promising approaches); Need to increase hepatitis B vaccination coverage |
Hepatitis C | Multiple combinations of direct-acting antivirals with high pangenotypic efficacy result in high sustained virological response rates, excellent safety, and good tolerance, even for patients with advanced fibrosis and cirrhosis; | Increase awareness of the disease, develop screening programmes; Optimization of direct-acting antivirals use; Attention to specific care needs to be taken in the post-treatment phase |
Hepatitis D | There are no satisfactory drugs for this disease; Pegylated interferon alpha recommended for the treatment of chronic HDV infection, although limited by poor tolerance is usually avoided in patients with cirrhosis, active autoimmune disease, or certain psychiatric disorders | Further research on novel targeted HDV antiviral medications is necessary due to the lack of effective therapeutic options |
Hepatitis E | There is no recommended treatment for acute HEV infections because it is usually self-limiting with spontaneous HEV clearance | Ribavirin is suggested to be an effective treatment for immunocompetent patients with severe hepatitis E; New anti-HEV drugs are under investigation; T cell therapy may be an alternative to conventional medicines; Vaccines to combat HEV have been developed and tested |
- Citation: Almeida PH, Matielo CEL, Curvelo LA, Rocco RA, Felga G, Della Guardia B, Boteon YL. Update on the management and treatment of viral hepatitis. World J Gastroenterol 2021; 27(23): 3249-3261
- URL: https://www.wjgnet.com/1007-9327/full/v27/i23/3249.htm
- DOI: https://dx.doi.org/10.3748/wjg.v27.i23.3249