Hepatitis B virus - what is it? How to treat hepatitis B?

Hepatitis B virus - what is it? The disease is viral anthroponous, that is, its causative agent can parasitize exclusively in the human body. The hepatitis B virus has a pronounced hepatotropic effect. Cirrhosis and oncology of the liver most often provokes this pathogen.

According to statistics, in Russia up to 50 thousand detected cases of hepatitis B are registered annually, and more than 5 million people are chronic carriers. The prevalence of this disease is very high all over the world - there are more than 350 million virus carriers, 250,000 of them die each year from various liver pathologies.

Hepatitis B virus: a characteristic

This prevalence of the disease is explained by the incredible resistance of the pathogen to various factors of chemical and physical impact. The hepatitis B virus is resistant to low temperature effects and even repeated freezing and thawing does not kill it. Boiling too on HBV (designation in the special literature) does not work.

In a dry drop of blood at room temperature, the virus persists for up to a month or more, in dry whey it is stored for up to 25 years, and in frozen (at a temperature of -20 degrees) - up to 15 years.

Disinfect (inactivate) it can be autoclaved for 30 minutes or sterilization in a dry-fire cabinet for an hour at a temperature of 180 degrees.

Forms of hepatitis B

What is dangerous for the hepatitis B virus? What is it and how does the disease manifest itself? Below we will try to answer these questions as fully as possible.

Hepatitis B can be acute and chronic. The acute develops immediately after infection and the end of the incubation period. It can last from a few weeks to six months. In this symptomatology is clearly expressed only in half the cases:

• Pain in the abdomen on the right, in the region of the costal arch;
• nausea and vomiting;
• Fever (fever);
• headache;
• weakness;
• joint pain;
• Icterus of the skin and sclera of the eyes;
• Dark urine (color of beer);
• Decolorized feces.

Acute (icteric) form of hepatitis B, as a rule, in 80% of cases ends with the recovery of the patient.

In children, and sometimes in adults, there may be an asymptomatic form of hepatitis B. In such a course of the disease, severe symptomatology is not observed. There may be slight malaise and fatigue, which patients often do not pay attention to. In this case, most often the presence of the hepatitis B virus in the blood is detected absolutely by accident, for example, with a regular physical examination. Such an easy course of the disease very often turns into a chronic form. Infection of a child with a virus during childbirth from a sick mother also often ends in a chronic form.

In some cases fulminant (malignant) hepatitis develops - this is a very severe course of the disease, which can lead to cirrhosis or liver oncology.

How does the infection occur?

Transmission of hepatitis B can occur in different ways. The source of infection is sick people or - if non-compliance with certain rules - carriers. The hepatitis B carrier does not suffer from this disease (there is no symptomatology), but there is a virus in his blood.

The most common way of getting infected with this disease is through blood. For example, through needles of disposable syringes at drug addicts for their secondary use, through poorly sterilized instruments of manicure or hairdressing salons. To infect a very small amount of blood, which contains the hepatitis B antigen. Even a microscopic dose of 0.00004 ml can cause infection. It has already been said that this virus is very stable, and even in a dry blood drop at room temperature it persists for more than a month.

In addition, hepatitis B is transmitted sexually. It is contained in absolutely all biological materials, including semen.

It is also likely intrauterine infection of the fetus (from a sick mother). But here it should be clarified that perinatal infection, i.e. before the onset of childbirth, happens extremely rarely. Most often, the infection of the child occurs precisely during childbirth, i.e., intranatally. After the appearance of crumbs, infection is possible with breastfeeding.

What happens after infection?

After the hepatitis B virus has got into the blood of a healthy person, it reaches the hepatocytes (liver cells) with blood flow. They are replicating (multiplying) the virus, which affects an increasing number of new cells, with some parts of the DNA of the virus being embedded in the DNA of the hepatocytes. The immune system does not recognize altered cells and perceives them as alien. The development of antibodies for the destruction of altered hepatocytes begins. Thus, the liver is destroyed, which leads to an inflammatory process and hepatitis.

Diagnostics

To diagnose this disease, in addition to the usual biochemical analysis for bilirubin and ALT, specific hepatitis B markers are used:

• Antigen HBsAg;
• Antigen HBeAG.

In addition, specific diagnostics use the detection of antibodies to these antigens and to the specific protein HBcore that appears in acute hepatitis B:

• Anti-HBcore;
• Anti-HBe.

The enumerated antigens and antibodies in different periods of the disease are in certain proportions. Their comprehensive research helps to determine the stage of HBV, which allows to predict the further course of the disease and to construct a treatment regimen.

What factors increase the risk of infection?

Statistics show that most often the virus is infected at the age of 15 to 30 years. Who is affected by such a disease as hepatitis B? What is it - we have already understood, now we will discuss what factors contribute to infection. So, the risk group includes:

• Patients of dental offices;
• People who resort to the services of manicure and hairdressing salons;
• Clients of piercing and tattoo parlors;
• drug addicts;
• Sick people, whose treatment implies frequent blood transfusions or the use of hemodialysis (the "artificial kidney" apparatus) ;
• Homosexuals;
• People who often change their sexual partners.

Significantly reduce the risk of the disease will help vaccinate against hepatitis B. It can be done in the inoculation of any clinic.

How to treat hepatitis B virus?

Therapy is aimed at preventing the development of cirrhosis and liver oncology. This is achieved by suppressing the multiplication of the virus in the liver cells and normalizing the level of transaminases.

The decision on how to treat hepatitis B virus is taken by an infectious disease doctor. Recovery is a long process. The choice of method of treatment depends on the activity of the virus and the risk of developing cirrhosis and liver oncology.

Acute viral hepatitis B usually passes by itself, the patient's recovery is complete. The exception is the heavy fulminant form of GW, but fortunately, this happens very rarely. Therapy of acute HB is aimed at excretion of toxins from the body (detoxification) and restoration of hepatocytes.

Antiviral drugs are used to treat chronic HB. For example, the medication "Interferon alfa-2a" is used once a week, for one year (for adults, the dose is 180 μg). The analogues of nucleosides are widely used: "Entecavir", "Lamuvidin", "Adefovir". These drugs stop the spread of the virus in the liver cells and promote their recovery.

Supportive therapy uses hepatoprotectors and immunomodulators, for example, the drug "Zadaxin" (injections).

In the treatment of viral HB, diet No. 5 is usually prescribed. It consists in the refusal of any fatty, spicy, salted and canned food. Semi-finished products and sausages are also better to be excluded from the diet.

If chronic hepatitis B takes a severe course and there is a serious risk of developing cirrhosis or liver cancer, a decision can be made about organ transplantation.

Prevention

Is it possible to somehow protect the body from such a pathogen as the hepatitis B virus? What is it, we found out. It's time to talk about prevention. It is divided into specific and nonspecific. The first is carried out by vaccination. The disease is protected only by people who have been vaccinated and who have been infected with hepatitis B. Nonspecific prevention involves carrying out a number of global epidemiological measures that prevent the transmission of viral HB. For example, mandatory testing of blood donors and their drugs for HBV markers, the implementation of a comprehensive program to combat drug addiction, after all, the banal observance of personal hygiene rules. We'll talk about this a little later. Now we only note that the prevention of viral hepatitis B is of great importance in combating the prevalence of this disease.

Specific prevention of GW

Vaccination against hepatitis B is mandatory:

• All children aged 0-1-6 months (planned vaccination);
• All family members of patients with chronic HB;
• Physicians;
• Students of medical schools;
• Persons working with blood products;
• Patients who are systematically undergoing hemodialysis;
• Patients receiving blood products.

Such an inoculation can be made by any adult. Previously, it was not included in the number of mandatory. In order to be vaccinated, it is enough to go to the polyclinic of your district. All children and adults under 55 years of age can receive this vaccination free of charge. Older people can be vaccinated at their own expense.

The procedure is available on any chosen day. After the first vaccination, two more will be needed. One - in a month, the second - in six months. Vaccination is the most reliable way to protect against viral HB.

Nonspecific prevention of GW

To nonspecific prevention of HBV can be attributed careful compliance with personal hygiene:

• Use only your own toothbrush, manicure instruments, razor, comb, etc.;
• Even personal belongings (the same manicure set) must be periodically disinfected;
• Apply effective disinfectants;
• Piercing ears, doing tattoos and piercings only in proven salons with a good reputation;
• Protected sex, although he does not give 100% of the guarantee (saliva, sweat and all biological fluids are the habitat of the virus), so you should not conduct a disorderly sexual life;
• Use only disposable syringes when injected.

We discussed with you what kind of danger the hepatitis B virus poses. What it is is now clear. Like any other disease, it is easier to prevent than to take a long course of treatment. Observance of simple preventive measures will help to protect against viral hepatitis B. Be healthy!