Hepatitis B virus

Recent developments in molecular biology have advanced our understanding of the pathogenesis of HBV-induced disease. New data derived from the molecular analysis of clinical material have begun to bridge the gap between bench research and the clinical arena. In this review, we consider topics that have relevance to clinical management and that have not been summarized in the recent literature. The recent advances that have been made in the areas of HBV variants,in vitro cell culture systems, and extrahepatic infection are discussed in greater detail.Supported by grants from the American College of Gastroenterology (B.Y.), Gulf Coast Regional Blood Center (C.N., B.Y.), and Schering Corporation (B.Y.).