A possible mechanism for low-level viremia occurrence in nucleos(t)ide analog-treated chronic hepatitis B patients
10.3760/cma.j.cn501113-20211124-00578
- VernacularTitle:核苷（酸）类药物经治慢性乙型肝炎患者低病毒血症发生的可能机制
- Author:
Leijie WANG
1
;
Zhiqiang GU
;
Zimeng XU
;
Xiangmei CHEN
;
Fengming LU
Author Information
1. 北京大学医学部基础医学院病原生物学系暨感染病研究中心 100191
- Keywords:
Chronic hepatitis B;
Nucleos(t)ide analogues;
Low level viremia
- From:
Chinese Journal of Hepatology
2021;29(12):1151-1155
- CountryChina
- Language:Chinese
-
Abstract:
The first-line nucleos(t)ide analogs (NAs) based antiviral drugs can effectively inhibit HBV replication and slow down the progression of chronic hepatitis B. However, about 20% of patients receiving standard NAs antiviral therapy will still develop low-level viremia (LLV). Therefore, understanding the occurrence mechanism of LLV will help to optimize antiviral treatment regimens and improve the prognosis of patients with chronic hepatitis B. This article systematically summarizes the possible mechanisms of LLV occurrence, and the important factor of NAs failure. Taking into account the unique limitations of NAs competitive inhibition of virus replication, weakening host's immune response is not enough to directly eliminate infected hepatocytes. This makes it difficult to achieve a complete virological response in some patients with the active compensatory proliferation of residual infected hepatocytes and the accompanying effective removal or dilution of covalent, closed, circular DNA (cccDNA) pools. Therefore, it is speculated that activating host immunity can eliminate infected liver cells and may be more conducive to address LLV.
