Open AccessImportance of adequate immunosuppressive therapy for the recovery of patients with “life-threatening” severe exacerbation of chronic hepatitis B
Author(s) -
Keiichi Fujiwara,
Osamu Yokosuka,
Hiroshige Kojima,
Tatsuo Kanda,
Hiromitsu Saisho,
Hiroyuki Hirasawa,
Hiroshi Suzuki
Publication year - 2005
Publication title -
world journal of gastroenterology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.427
H-Index - 155
eISSN - 2219-2840
pISSN - 1007-9327
DOI - 10.3748/wjg.v11.i8.1109
Subject(s) - medicine , exacerbation , gastroenterology , fulminant hepatic failure , hepatitis b , hepatitis , hepatitis b virus , hbeag , prothrombin time , fulminant hepatitis , immunology , virus , liver transplantation , hbsag , transplantation
Hepatitis B virus (HBV) re-activation often occurs spontaneously or after withdrawal of immunosuppressive therapy in patients with chronic hepatitis B. Severe exacerbation, sometimes developing into fulminant hepatic failure, is at high risk of mortality. The efficacy of corticosteroid therapy in "clinically severe" exacerbation of chronic hepatitis B has not been well demonstrated. In this study we evaluated the efficacy of early introduction of high-dose corticosteroid therapy in patients with life-threatening severe exacerbation of chronic hepatitis B.