title: Asian-Pacific consensus statement on the management of chronic hepatitis B: a 2012 update.
abstract: Large volume of new data on the natural history and treatment of chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection have become available since 2008. These include further studies in asymptomatic subjects with chronic HBV infection and community-based cohorts, the role of HBV genotype/naturally occurring HBV mutations, the application of non-invasive assessment of hepatic fibrosis and quantitation of HBV surface antigen and new drug or new strategies towards more effective therapy. To update HBV management guidelines, relevant new data were reviewed and assessed by experts from the region, and the significance of the reported findings was discussed and debated. The earlier "Asian-Pacific consensus statement on the management of chronic hepatitis B" was revised accordingly. The key terms used in the statement were also defined. The new guidelines include general management, indications for fibrosis assessment, time to start or stop drug therapy, choice of drug to initiate therapy, when and how to monitor the patients during and after stopping drug therapy. Recommendations on the therapy of patients in special circumstances, including women in childbearing age, patients with antiviral drug resistance, concurrent viral infection, hepatic decompensation, patients receiving immune suppression or chemotherapy and patients in the setting of liver transplantation and hepatocellular carcinoma, are also included.
authors.affiliation: Liver Research Unit, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Chang Gung University College of Medicine, 199, Tung Hwa North Road, Taipei, Taiwan. liveryfl@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Yun-Fan
authors.initials: YF
authors.lastname: Liaw
authors.affiliation: Graduate Institute of Clinical Medicine, National Taiwan University College of Medicine and Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Jia-Horng
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Kao
authors.affiliation: NKC Institute of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Songklanagarind Hospital, Prince of Songkla University, Hat Yai, Thailand.
authors.forename: Teerha
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Piratvisuth
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine and Therapeutics and Institute of Digestive Disease, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China.
authors.forename: Henry Lik Yuen
authors.initials: HL
authors.lastname: Chan
authors.affiliation: Liver Research Unit, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Chang Gung University College of Medicine, Keelung, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Rong-Nan
authors.initials: RN
authors.lastname: Chien
authors.affiliation: Graduate Institute of Clinical Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine and Hepatitis Research Center, National Taiwan University College of Medicine and Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Chun-Jen
authors.initials: CJ
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.affiliation: New Zealand Liver Transplant Unit, Auckland City Hospital, Auckland, New Zealand.
authors.forename: Ed
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Gane
authors.affiliation: Research & Molecular Development, Victorian Infectious Diseases Reference Laboratory, WHO Regional Reference Laboratory for Hepatitis B, Melbourne, Australia.
authors.forename: Stephen
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Locarnini
authors.affiliation: Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, National University Health Systems, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, Singapore, Singapore.
authors.forename: Seng-Gee
authors.initials: SG
authors.lastname: Lim
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Liver Cirrhosis Clinical Research Center, Seoul, Korea.
authors.forename: Kwang-Hyub
authors.initials: KH
authors.lastname: Han
authors.affiliation: Bombay Hospital and Medical Research Centre, Mumbai, India.
authors.forename: Deepak
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Amarapurkar
authors.affiliation: Royal Brisbane Hospital, University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia.
authors.forename: Graham
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Cooksley
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, Aga Khan University, Karachi, Pakistan.
authors.forename: Wasim
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Jafri
authors.affiliation: University Malaya Medical Centre, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
authors.forename: Rosmawati
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Mohamed
authors.affiliation: Hepatology Unit, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China.
authors.forename: Jin-Lin
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Hou
authors.affiliation: Hepatobiliary Division, Department of Internal Medicine, Kaohsiung Medical University Hospital, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Wan-Long
authors.initials: WL
authors.lastname: Chuang
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, University of Indonesia, Jakarta, Indonesia.
authors.forename: Laurentius A
authors.initials: LA
authors.lastname: Lesmana
authors.affiliation: University of Santo Tomas, España Blvd., Manila, Philippines.
authors.forename: Jose D
authors.initials: JD
authors.lastname: Sollano
authors.affiliation: Asan Medical Center, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.
authors.forename: Dong-Jin
authors.initials: DJ
authors.lastname: Suh
authors.affiliation: Yamanashi-ken Hospital Organization, Central and Kita Hospitals, University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan.
authors.forename: Masao
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Omata
keywords: Adefovir; Chronic hepatitis B; Entecavir; Hepatitis B virus (HBV); Hepatocellular carcinoma; Interferon-α; Lamivudine; Liver cirrhosis; Pegylated interferon; Telbivudine; Tenofovir