Current topics in hepatitis B

Over two billion people around the world have been infected with hepatitis B virus, of whom over 350 million are chronic carriers. Some 25% of carrier s develop progressive liver disease. The annual mortality from hepatitis B infection and its sequelae is 1-2 million people worldwide. The following current topics are reviewed: immunization strategies against hepatitis B and the kinetics and antibody response: the controversy on scre ening blood donors for anti-core antibodies; mutations of hepatitis B surfa ce antigen, including evidence that not all such mutants are detectable by current laboratory tests and, finally, the introduction of second generatio n nucleoside analogues for treatment of chronic hepatitis B infection, incl uding treatment of patients with decompensated liver disease and liver tran splantation. (C) 2000 The British Infection Society.