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    Infect Agent Cancer. 2009 Jan 16;4:2.

    Antiviral therapy in acute viral hepatitis B: why and when.

    Morelli G, Perrella A, Sbreglia C, Bellopede P, Riccio V, Perrella O.

    VII Department of Infectious Diseases and Immunology, "D, Cotugno" Hospital, Naples, Italy. alexperrel@virgilio.it.

    ABSTRACT: Acute viral hepatitis B is cleared in more than 95% of patients, while the remainder ones may develop either chronic HBV infection or, rarely, fulminant hepatitis.Therefore there are elderly patients with severe acute HBV hepatitis caractherized by high serum bilirubin levels >15 mmole/dl, international normalized ratio (INR) with value more than 1.6; these patients are caractherized by a severe outcome of HBV infection.As known, outcome of infection and the pathogenesis of liver diseases are determined by viral and host factors, such as T reg lymphocytes.T regs may be associated with a negative immune response such as an inhibition of gamma- IFN secretion.The impact of viral load on antiviral T cell responses may play a critical role in thaese patients, influencing disease persistence and immune response.Antiviral drugs could be useful in these patients determing a possible down -regulation of T regs.

    PMID: 19149879 [PubMed - in process]

    PMCID: PMC2640373

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