Five common questions about cirrhosis of the liver with hepatitis B

  Hepatitis B cirrhosis (referred to as hepatitis B cirrhosis) develops from chronic viral hepatitis B. HBV infection of liver cells causes inflammatory necrosis of liver cells due to the attack of immune cells in the body, which gradually forms scar tissue in the area of inflammatory necrosis, resulting in gradual hardening and deformation of the liver, thus developing into cirrhosis.  Due to the powerful liver compensation, there are often no obvious symptoms in the early stage (also called compensated stage); in the late stage (also called decompensated stage), complications such as upper gastrointestinal bleeding, hepatic encephalopathy, secondary infection and ascites often appear. In patients with cirrhosis, the annual incidence of hepatocellular carcinoma is 3%-6%, so the prevention and treatment of chemistry is very important.  Can cirrhosis of liver B be cured?  Patients with cirrhosis of liver B can have their disease controlled and stabilized as long as they have standardized treatment, regular checkups and pay attention to rest and diet. With the continuous development and listing of oral antiviral drugs, one pill a day can make HBV replication be inhibited and liver inflammation be controlled. It was previously thought that cirrhosis could not be recovered once it occurred, but new research findings show that cirrhosis can also be reversed.  Some widely used anti-fibrotic drugs such as Fu Huayu capsule and compound turtle shell soft liver tablet have been proven to have certain efficacy in reversing liver fibrosis and treating cirrhosis.  Therefore, as long as timely and correct treatment, cirrhosis of liver B can be controlled and most patients can live a healthy life as normal people after treatment.  Secondly, is antiviral treatment necessary for cirrhosis?  Anti-viral treatment is the most basic principle of cirrhosis treatment. Patients with chronic hepatitis B with evidence of compensated or decompensated cirrhosis need antiviral treatment regardless of their ALT level, HBeAg status and HBV DNA level.  Can antiviral drugs be discontinued after the condition has improved?  Hepatitis B cirrhosis cannot be discontinued and must be taken for a long time. Anti-viral treatment for chronic hepatitis B can only inhibit viral replication, but cannot yet completely remove the virus. Although the virological indicators turn negative after the use of antiviral drugs, it only means that the viral load is lower than the lower limit of the current detection level, it does not mean that there is no hepatitis B virus in the body.  There are often chronic hepatitis B patients with negative virological indicators and normal liver function who are in remission or even recovering as normal, but once the drugs are stopped, the virus will immediately rebound, leading to a sudden aggravation of the disease, and in some cases even develop into liver failure and life-threatening. Patients with hepatitis B who have reached the stage of cirrhosis are even less able to tolerate the rebound of drug withdrawal, and once the disease progresses, it may directly lead to a significant decrease in quality of life or endanger life.  In addition, the rebound from drug withdrawal will also make the virus resistant to drugs, making it more difficult to treat the disease again and increasing the cost of treatment. Therefore, for patients with chronic hepatitis B, long-term antiviral therapy with potent, low-drug-resistant drugs is the safest and most economical method. In addition, antiviral therapy is the basis of antifibrotic treatment, and long-term suppression of the virus is the only way to have a chance to reverse cirrhosis and improve the quality of life.  Of course, if there are obvious adverse reactions during treatment, such as general deterioration, obvious myalgia, muscle weakness and other symptoms, or if the blood creatinine, creatine kinase or lactate dehydrogenase are significantly elevated, patients should consult a doctor promptly to determine whether they need to stop the drug or switch to other antiviral drugs.  V. How to do regular follow-up?  Patients with hepatitis B cirrhosis have an increased incidence of hepatocellular carcinoma. They should be tested for alpha-fetoprotein and abdominal ultrasound at least once every 6 months, and if abnormalities are found, they should have an enhanced CT or MRI scan immediately for early detection, early diagnosis and early treatment.  Patients with cirrhosis should also undergo gastroscopy or upper gastrointestinal x-ray imaging every 1 to 2 years to observe the presence of esophagogastric fundic varices and their progression. HBVDNA, liver function and blood tests should be performed every 3 months to monitor the antiviral treatment and liver function status.  A hepatic message: compensated cirrhosis patients, antiviral therapy drugs can choose interferon and nucleoside (acid) analogues, choose interferon must pay attention to the adverse reactions and contraindications of interferon therapy; cirrhosis patients who are decompensated, antiviral therapy drugs can only choose nucleoside (acid) analogues, and it is best to choose a strong low resistance drug tenofovir or entecavir therapy.