Chronic hepatitis B in 2014: Great therapeutic progress, large diagnostic deficit

Table 1 Subjects with high risk for HBV infection who should be screened irrespective of symptoms and alanine aminotransferase values[1-5]

All individuals born in areas with high and intermediate HBV prevalence (> 2 % HBsAg positivity) including immigrants and adopted children

Further subjects who belong to a high risk group and should generally be screened

Individuals with elevated ALT/AST or others signs of liver disease

Household and sexual contacts of HBsAg-positive persons

Persons who have ever injected drugs

Persons with multiple sexual partners or history of sexually transmitted disease

Men who have sex with men

Inmates of correctional facilities and jails

Individuals infected with HCV or HIV

Patients undergoing renal dialysis

Patients undergoing chemotherapy or immunosuppressive therapy

All pregnant women

HBV: Hepatitis B virus; HCV: Hepatitis C virus; HIV: Human immunodeficiency virus; ALT: Alanine aminotransferase.