Open AccessCombined glucocorticoid and antiviral therapy of hepatitis B virus-related liver failure
Author(s) -
Jan-Hendrik Bockmann,
Maura Dandri,
Stefan Lüth,
Nadine Pannicke,
Ansgar W. Lohse
Publication year - 2015
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.v21.i7.2214
Subject(s) - medicine , immunosuppression , fulminant hepatic failure , hepatitis b virus , fulminant hepatitis , immunology , fulminant , hepatitis b , virus , glucocorticoid , hepatitis , antiviral therapy , liver transplantation , virology , chronic hepatitis , transplantation
Acute hepatic failure due to hepatitis B virus (HBV) can occur both during primary infection as well as after reactivation of chronic infection. Guidelines recommend considering antiviral therapy in both situations, although evidence supporting this recommendation is weak. Since HBV is not directly cytopathic, the mechanism leading to fulminant hepatitis B is thought to be primarily immune-mediated. Therefore, immunosuppression combined with antiviral therapy might be a preferred therapeutic intervention in acute liver failure in hepatitis B. Here we report our favourable experience in three hepatitis B patients with fulminant hepatic failure who were treated by combining high-dose steroid therapy with standard antiviral treatment, which resulted in a rapid improvement of clinical and liver parameters.