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Reducing the Risk of Hepatitis B-Associated Chronic Liver Disease and Hepatocellular Carcinoma

A special issue of Cancers (ISSN 2072-6694). This special issue belongs to the section "Clinical Research of Cancer".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 November 2026 | Viewed by 1063

Special Issue Editor


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Guest Editor
Department of Biology, College of Science and Technology, Temple University, Philadelphia, PA, USA
Interests: hepatitis B; hepatocellular carcinoma; short chain fatty acids; hepatitis C; psoriasis; direct acting antiviral compounds

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Chronic hepatitis B therapeutics have focused upon the development of direct acting anti-viral compounds that have reduced virus load as well as the intensity and duration of chronic liver disease (CLD).  However, sterilizing cures have not been achieved, and hepatitis B virus (HBV) carriers are still at elevated risk for the reappearance of CLD and progression to hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) associated with the emergence of drug resistance, with drug-induced immunosuppression, altered host–virus relationship associated with gut dysbiosis, and with the persistence/reactivation of occult infections.  The pathogenesis of CLD is immune-mediated, although relatively little attention has been made to developing drugs that directly target CLD alone or in combination with direct acting antiviral compounds.  These represent challenges at the forefront of next-generation therapeutic development to achieve a functional cure that is characterized by sustained virus suppression, amelioration of CLD, and reduced risk for CLD progression to HCC.

Prof. Dr. Mark A. Feitelson
Guest Editor

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Keywords

  • HBsAg loss
  • prolonged nucleoside therapy
  • autoimmune diseases
  • gut dysbiosis
  • hepatitis delta coinfection
  • HIV coinfection
  • functional cure
  • immunomodulation
  • HBV integration
  • immune-mediated CLD
  • combination therapies

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Published Papers (1 paper)

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Research

13 pages, 1031 KB  
Article
Association Between SGLT2 Inhibitor Use and Reduced Risk of Liver-Related Events, Including Hepatocellular Carcinoma, in Diabetic Patients with Viral Hepatitis: A Nationwide Cohort Study
by Seong Hee Kang, Jimi Choi, Hyung Joon Yim, Young Kul Jung, Sun Young Yim, Young-Sun Lee, Yeon Seok Seo, Ji Hoon Kim, Jong Eun Yeon and Kwan Soo Byun
Cancers 2026, 18(1), 120; https://doi.org/10.3390/cancers18010120 - 30 Dec 2025
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 809
Abstract
Background and Aims: Diabetes mellitus and chronic hepatitis B/C infection are risk factors for liver cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). This study aimed to evaluate whether sodium-glucose cotransporter-2 inhibitors (SGLT2i) improved liver-related outcomes in patients with chronic viral hepatitis and co-existing diabetes. [...] Read more.
Background and Aims: Diabetes mellitus and chronic hepatitis B/C infection are risk factors for liver cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). This study aimed to evaluate whether sodium-glucose cotransporter-2 inhibitors (SGLT2i) improved liver-related outcomes in patients with chronic viral hepatitis and co-existing diabetes. Methods: Using data from the Korean nationwide cohort, this study included 37,629 patients with concurrent diabetes and chronic hepatitis B/C infection, without prior HCC, who were treated with oral hypoglycemic agents. Patients who were treated with SGLT2is for over 90 days were allocated to the SGLT2i group, whereas those who never received SGLT2is comprised the non-SGLT2i group. The primary outcome was the occurrence of liver-related events, including HCC. Results: After 1:2 propensity score matching, the SGLT2i group comprised 12,543 patients (chronic hepatitis B, CHB: n = 9392; chronic hepatitis C, CHC: n = 4300, CHB & CHC: n = 1149), while the non-SGLT2i group included 25,086 patients (CHB: n = 18,806; CHC: n = 8553, CHB & CHC: 2273). The incidence rate of composite liver-related complications was lower in the SGLT2i group than that in the non-SGLT2i group (6.67 per 1000 vs. 8.99 per 1000). Moreover, SGLT2i therapy was associated with a reduced risk of HCC development (subdistribution hazard ratio [sHR] = 0.77, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.66–0.91; p = 0.002) and developing cirrhosis (sHR = 0.67, 95% CI = 0.54–0.83; p < 0.001). Conclusions: SGLT2is should be considered a therapeutic option for controlling diabetes, reducing the metabolic burden, and improving liver outcomes in patients with concurrent diabetes and chronic viral hepatitis. Full article
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