By Christine Kukka
For decades, people living with chronic hepatitis B were told they would be “cured” only when they lost the hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) and developed surface antibodies. It represented the holy grail of recovery that everyone hoped for, but very few achieved.
Today, experts are redefining what constitutes a “functional cure” from chronic hepatitis B and taking the surface antibody out of the equation.
Researchers, including expert Dr. Robert Gish, suggest if people have an undetectable viral load (HBV DNA), undetectable HBsAg, and no signs of liver damage, they may be “functionally cured,” even if they haven’t developed surface antibodies. The cure is called “functional” because the only cure for hepatitis B is when the immune system controls or suppresses the virus. Continue reading "Forget Surface Antibodies, If You Have Both Undetectable Viral Load and HBsAg, You Might Be Functionally “Cured”"