title: Natural regression of fibrosis in chronic hepatitis B.
abstract: The fibrosis of liver cirrhosis was considered to be irreversible before the anti-viral drugs showed that it is reversible when they lead to continuous suppression of viral replication and inflammation. However, several reports previously showed that fibrosis of type B liver cirrhosis was almost completely absorbed after the natural remission of chronic inflammation. This phenomenon might not be limited to exceptional patients, but rather occur commonly, considering the dynamic clinical features of chronic hepatitis B (CHB), where inactive carrier stage normally follows aggravation of hepatitis and progression of fibrosis at the time of HBeAg seroconversion. Thus, fibrosis levels of CHB as a hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC)-surveillance marker, particularly those of the inactive stage, could be underestimated, because some of them might have been (pre)cirrhotic in the past and recovered with the natural regression of fibrosis. We argue that cirrhosis-induced HCC mechanisms, rather than direct action of viral genome, may be more common than generally considered in CHB patients. This may have some impact on reconsidering the surveillance rationale for HCC in CHB, from where advanced HCCs tended to be missed. In addition, a molecular marker to assess the cancer-prone characteristics of the liver will definitely be needed to resolve the issue.
authors.affiliation: Shogo Ohkoshi, Haruka Hirono, Kazuhiko Watanabe, Katsuhiko Hasegawa, Department of Internal Medicine, School of Life Dentistry at Niigata, The Nippon Dental University, Niigata 951-8580, Japan.
authors.forename: Shogo
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ohkoshi
authors.affiliation: Shogo Ohkoshi, Haruka Hirono, Kazuhiko Watanabe, Katsuhiko Hasegawa, Department of Internal Medicine, School of Life Dentistry at Niigata, The Nippon Dental University, Niigata 951-8580, Japan.
authors.forename: Haruka
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Hirono
authors.affiliation: Shogo Ohkoshi, Haruka Hirono, Kazuhiko Watanabe, Katsuhiko Hasegawa, Department of Internal Medicine, School of Life Dentistry at Niigata, The Nippon Dental University, Niigata 951-8580, Japan.
authors.forename: Kazuhiko
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Watanabe
authors.affiliation: Shogo Ohkoshi, Haruka Hirono, Kazuhiko Watanabe, Katsuhiko Hasegawa, Department of Internal Medicine, School of Life Dentistry at Niigata, The Nippon Dental University, Niigata 951-8580, Japan.
authors.forename: Katsuhiko
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Hasegawa
authors.affiliation: Shogo Ohkoshi, Haruka Hirono, Kazuhiko Watanabe, Katsuhiko Hasegawa, Department of Internal Medicine, School of Life Dentistry at Niigata, The Nippon Dental University, Niigata 951-8580, Japan.
authors.forename: Kenya
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kamimura
authors.affiliation: Shogo Ohkoshi, Haruka Hirono, Kazuhiko Watanabe, Katsuhiko Hasegawa, Department of Internal Medicine, School of Life Dentistry at Niigata, The Nippon Dental University, Niigata 951-8580, Japan.
authors.forename: Masahiko
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Yano
mesh_terms: D006528:Carcinoma, Hepatocellular / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000209:etiology / Q000276:immunology; D018450:Disease Progression; D055088:Early Detection of Cancer; D006513:Hepatitis B e Antigens / Q000276:immunology; D019694:Hepatitis B, Chronic / Q000150:complications / Q000276:immunology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D006801:Humans; D007249:Inflammation; D008103:Liver Cirrhosis / Q000209:etiology / Q000276:immunology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000209:etiology / Q000276:immunology; D012075:Remission, Spontaneous; D000069078:Seroconversion
chemical_list: D006513:Hepatitis B e Antigens
keywords: Chronic hepatitis B; Cirrhosis; Hepatocellular carcinoma surveillance of hepatitis B virus; Occult hepatitis B infection; Regression of fibrosis; Spontaneous remission