Hepatitis B viral load and risk of HBV-related liver disease: from East to West?

Chronic hepatitis B has a variable course in disease activity with a risk of clinical complications like liver cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma. As clinical symptoms present in a late stage of the disease, identification of risk factors is important for early detection and therefore improvement of prognosis. Recently, two REVEAL-HBV studies from Taiwan have shown a positive correlation between viral load at any point in time and the development of cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma. Due to differences in viral and host factors between Asians and other populations, it is unclear whether these results can be extrapolated to different populations. This manuscript will discuss viral predictors of hepatitis B related liver disease in relation to ethnic origin.