Efficacy Study of Prednisone Priming to Treat Asian Chronic Hepatitis B Patients

Patients with chronic hepatitis B constantly produce the virus in the body. The disease of chronic hepatitis B is the body responding to the virus. Use of steroids can adjust this response. After taking steroids, viral production usually increases and liver function tests increase. After stopping steroids, viral production usually decreases. Many studies in the past have studied taking a low dose steroid before treating hepatitis B. Those studies have shown that low dose steroids help your body to clear the virus. The goal of this study is to improve the liver function by slowing viral growth.