title: A survey of chronic hepatitis B patient management practices in the European Union.
abstract: The current study sought to evaluate the characteristics of chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection and current management practices in the European Union by surveying physician and patient records. A detailed survey of physician practices and management of patients with CHB was conducted between July and October 2006 in France, Germany, Italy and Spain. A total of 200 physicians participated in the survey, and data were collected from 2023 patients with chronic HBV infection. Most patients were men (69%), who had hepatitis B e antigen (HBeAg)-negative disease (64%), and demonstrated evidence of significant disease [53%; moderate fibrosis (35%), compensated cirrhosis (14%), or decompensated cirrhosis (4%)]. Among the 1665 HBV-monoinfected patients surveyed, 1184 (71%) were currently receiving treatment for chronic HBV infection. At treatment initiation, 70% of HBeAg-positive patients had both pretreatment serum HBV DNA levels <or=9 log(10) copies/mL and alanine aminotransferase (ALT) levels >or=2 x the upper limit of normal (ULN), and 81% of HBeAg-negative patients had HBV DNA levels of <or=7 log(10) copies/mL. Among untreated patients, HBV DNA levels <or=5 log(10,) ALT levels <2 x ULN, and mild or no liver fibrosis were present in 48% and 84% of HBeAg-positive and HBeAg-negative patients, respectively. In conclusion, the majority of European patients with CHB surveyed were HBeAg negative, Caucasian, men, and presented with significant histologic liver disease. At treatment initiation, most HBeAg-positive patients had pretreatment serum HBV DNA levels <or=9 log(10) copies/mL and ALT levels >or=2 x ULN, while the HBeAg-negative patients had HBV DNA levels <or=7 log(10) copies/mL.
authors.affiliation: Sektion Hepatologie, Klinik für Gastroenterologie und Rheumatologie, Universitätsklinikum Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany. thomas.berg@medizin.uni-leipzig.de
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Berg
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Benhamou
authors.forename: J L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Calleja
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Levrero
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Johnson
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Ellis
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000410:Alanine Transaminase / Q000097:blood; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004279:DNA, Viral / Q000097:blood; D005062:European Union; D005260:Female; D006513:Hepatitis B e Antigens / Q000097:blood; D019694:Hepatitis B, Chronic / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000628:therapy*; D006801:Humans; D008103:Liver Cirrhosis / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D019562:Viral Load
chemical_list: D004279:DNA, Viral; D006513:Hepatitis B e Antigens; D000410:Alanine Transaminase