Stopping Antiviral Treatment in Chronic Hepatitis B

Chronic hepatitis B (CHB) infection affected 292 million individuals in the world, translating to about 3.9% of global prevalence. Up to 40% of patients with CHB will develop liver-related complications. Many patients require long-term oral antiviral therapy since off-treatment sustained virological control can only be achieved in a minority of patients. It is uncommon for patients taking long-term antivirals to be able to stop the treatment if favorable factors are not present. Those include low viral load, long enough duration of treatment, and absence of cirrhosis. Some studies have found that inducing a mild flare is beneficial for achieving functional cure in chronic hepatitis B infection. There is lack of data in the immunological and virological profile in patients who stop their long-term antiviral therapy, and in those who developed flare after treatment cessation.