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©2014 Baishideng Publishing Group Inc. All rights reserved.
World J Gastroenterol. Jun 21, 2014; 20(23): 7306-7311
Published online Jun 21, 2014. doi: 10.3748/wjg.v20.i23.7306
Published online Jun 21, 2014. doi: 10.3748/wjg.v20.i23.7306
Does antiviral therapy reduce complications of cirrhosis?
Goh Eun Chung, Department of Internal Medicine, Healthcare Research Institute, Gangnam Healthcare Center, Seoul National University Hospital, Seoul 135-984, South Korea
Jeong-Hoon Lee, Yoon Jun Kim, Department of Internal Medicine and Liver Research Institute, Seoul National College of Medicine, Seoul 110-744, South Korea
Author contributions: Chung GE and Kim YJ designed the research; Chung GE and Lee JH performed the research; Chung GE and Kim YJ wrote the paper.
Correspondence to: Yoon Jun Kim, MD, PhD, Department of Internal Medicine and Liver Research Institute, Seoul National University College of Medicine, 101 Daehang-no, Jongno-gu, Seoul 110-744, South Korea. yoonjun@snu.ac.kr
Telephone: +82-2-20723081 Fax: +82-2-7436701
Received: October 28, 2013
Revised: January 2, 2014
Accepted: April 1, 2014
Published online: June 21, 2014
Revised: January 2, 2014
Accepted: April 1, 2014
Published online: June 21, 2014
Core Tip
Core tip: The goals of antiviral therapy in hepatitis B virus-related cirrhosis would be to improve the hepatic disease severity, improve the clinical symptoms and quality of life, and prolong patient’s survival. Despite the limitations, antiviral therapy with nucleos(t)ide in patients with HBV-related cirrhosis can prevent the development of complications from cirrhosis, particularly, decompensation and acute-on-chronic liver failure (ACLF). Early antiviral treatment is important for patients with severe decompensated cirrhosis and ACLF. Thus, physicians could treat these patients using lamivudine with careful monitoring for the development of resistance or using the most potent antiviral agent, such as entecavir or tenofovir.