Main description:

This text provides a comprehensive, state-of-the art review of this field, and will serve as a valuable resource for students, clinicians, and researchers with an interest in hepatitis B. The book reviews new data about basic and translational science including the viral life cycle, the immunopathogenesis of virus induced chronic hepatitis, the mechanism of virus induced liver cancer, and their potential applications for the clinical management of patients. The clinical aspects of this chronic viral infection are reviewed in detail with important chapters on the global epidemiology, the natural history of the disease, co-infections with its satellite virus HDV or HIV, and management of special patient populations. A major emphasis is made on the management of antiviral therapy and the recent international guidelines for the treatment of hepatitis B. Finally, the book reviews the current state of the art regarding immunoprophylaxis to prevent the spread of the virus and its major clinical consequences. The new advances and perspectives in the development of improved antiviral treatments are also discussed.

Hepatitis B Virus in Human Diseases will serve as a very useful resource for students, physicians and researchers dealing with, and interested in, this challenging chronic viral infection. It will provide a concise yet comprehensive summary of the current status of the field that will help guide patient management and stimulate investigative efforts. All chapters are written by experts in their fields and include the most up to date scientific and clinical information.

Contents:

HBV Virology and Replication.- Experimental Models: Cell Culture and Animal Models.- Hepatitis B Virus Genotypes.- HBV Immunopathogenesis.- Carcinogenesis.- Hepatitis B Virus: Persistence and Clearance.- HDV Virology and Replication.- Translational Medicine in HBV-What Can We Learn from Clinical Samples?.- Global Epidemiology of HBV Infection.- Clinical Virology: Diagnosis and Virologic Monitoring.- Natural History of Hepatitis B Virus Infection.- Natural History of HBV Infection in the Community.- Occult HBV Infection.- The Basis for Antiviral Therapy: Drug Targets, Cross-Resistance and Novel Small Molecule Inhibitors.- IFN-Based Therapy and Management of Patients.- Nucleoside Analogue-Based Therapy and Management of Patients (Including HIV Co-infections, HBV and Pregnancy).- Organ Transplantation in HBV Infected Patients.- Reactivation of Hepatitis B Virus Due to Cancer Chemotherapy and Other Immunosuppressive Drug Therapy.- Immunoprophylaxis of Hepatitis B Virus Infection and Its Sequelae.- Towards HBV Eradication.