THE PATHOGENESIS OF CHRONIC HEPATITIS-B VIRUS-INFECTION

There are more than 300 million carriers of hepatitis B virus (HBV) wo rldwide at high risk for the development of hepatitis, cirrhosis and h epatocellular carcinoma. Although the pathogenesis of chronic infectio n is essentially immune-mediated, its variability and underlying mecha nisms remain major obstacles to the development of effective treatment s, This review outlines some of the aspects of HBV-associated chronic liver diseases in the hope that the knowledge obtained will be central to the development of new therapeutic approaches.