Hepatitis B is a liver infection caused by the hepatitis B virus. This disease, which can be prevented via vaccine, spreads when blood or other body fluids from an infected individual enter the body of another. Having chronic hepatitis B increases an individual’s risk of developing cirrhosis, liver cancer or liver failure.
New research, which evaluated a cohort of adult veterans in America, has determined that only about one-half started on antiviral therapy. The study was led by clinical associate professor Robert J. Wong of the Stanford University School of Medicine.
The researchers’ aim was to understand chronic hepatitis B-related cirrhosis better and determine if there were certain predictors that made patients susceptible to holdups in treatment of said infection. For their study, Wong and his colleagues identified 2,550 veterans with chronic hepatitis B cirrhosis via data from the Veterans Affairs Corporate Data Warehouse, for the period between 2010–2022.
The researchers identified the chronic illness by a single positive result for HBV DNA, HBsAG or HBeAG and a ICD-9/10 code for chronic hepatitis B or two positive results for HBV DNA, HBsAG or HBeAG, at least six months apart. They then used adjusted multivariable logistic regression models to assess for independent predictors of chronic hepatitis B antiviral therapy. The final model was adjusted for sex, age, HIV status, race/ethnicity, urbanicity, hepatitis C status, alcohol use and comorbid hypertension.
Of those included in the study, roughly 54% were non-Hispanic white, 2.5% were Hispanic, about 33% were African American, 4.8% Asian and 0.9% American Indian or Alaska Native. Baseline data also showed that almost 82% suffered from hypertension, more than 45% had diabetes and about 23% also suffered from chronic hepatitis C.
The researchers determined that of the 2,550, only 52% had been put on antiviral therapy. This was concerning as most of the patients had advanced liver disease and thus had a heightened risk of developing decompensated cirrhosis or hepatocellular carcinoma. They also found that in comparison to Asians, African Americans had considerably lower rates of chronic hepatitis B treatment.
Additional data also demonstrated lower rates of treatment among older individuals in comparison to those aged 18 to 39 years old. This was also observed among patients who reported high-risk alcohol use compared to those who reported no use of alcohol.
In their report, the researchers emphasized the importance of identifying patients eligible for therapy in a timely manner and implementing universal screening for hepatitis B that aligned with updated CDC recommendations. Wong added that the data called attention to the crucial need to ensure that chronic hepatitis B cirrhosis patients were effectively linked to care and were receiving that care according to stipulated guidelines.
Enterprises such as Renovaro BioSciences Inc. (NASDAQ: RENB) are working to develop effective treatments that can eliminate HBV so that patients don’t have to live with the long-term complications that often result from this infection.
NOTE TO INVESTORS: The latest news and updates relating to Renovaro BioSciences Inc. (NASDAQ: RENB) are available in the company’s newsroom at https://ibn.fm/RENB
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