title: Epidemiology of hepatitis B virus (HBV) infections with particular regard to current routes of transmission and development of cirrhosis and malignancy.
abstract: The majority of hepatitis B virus (HBV) carriers world-wide becomes infected by transmission from asymptomatic carrier mother to infant, so-called "vertical" transmission, or early person to person so-called "horizontal" transmission, but sexual transmission is also important, especially in low endemicity areas. The histopathological findings at liver biopsies of these HBV-carriers vary from almost normal to severe chronic active hepatitis (CAH) with cirrhosis, and especially cirrhosis is associated with the development of HBV-related liver cancer. The reported annual incidence/100,000 of HBV-induced CAH in north-western Europe is 0.1-0.6 while the burden of the important chronic stages of hepatitis B is manyfold this in most developing countries.
authors.affiliation: Department of Infectious Diseases, Ostra Sjukhuset Göteborg, Sweden.
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Norkrans
mesh_terms: D006528:Carcinoma, Hepatocellular / Q000209:etiology*; D002353:Carrier State / Q000453:epidemiology; D002908:Chronic Disease; D005260:Female; D014943:Global Health; D006509:Hepatitis B / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000635:transmission; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008103:Liver Cirrhosis / Q000209:etiology*; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000209:etiology*; D011247:Pregnancy; D011251:Pregnancy Complications, Infectious / Q000453:epidemiology*; D012307:Risk Factors