Interferon for Hepatitis B: Which Populations Benefit the Most.

There are a number of antiviral treatments for chronic hepatitis B currently available, and these include both interferon and a variety of nucleoside and nucleotide analogues. Interferon has been shown in numerous trials to be superior to the nucleoside analogues in inducing virologic, biochemical, histologic, and serologic responses. However, this response is not universal among patients and the side effects of interferon can be dose limiting. It is thus important to consider interferon in select populations, who are most likely to respond. In this review, we aim to identify the patient population in which interferon therapy will yield the most benefit while minimizing its use in those who may be better served using the nucleoside or nucleotide analogues. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]