Non-adherence to hepatitis B drugs may cause signs of treatment resistance

The resurgence of the hepatitis B virus in patients who use drug regimens to control the disease are often not related to medication resistance, according to a recent study published in the journal Hepatology.

Although 30 percent of study participants who were treated for hepatitis B experienced confirmed cases of virological breakthrough, the researchers explained that the only factor that consistently played a role in the risk of reemergence was failure to adhere to antiviral drug regimens.

The study's results showed that 40 percent of these cases were not due to the virus becoming immune to treatment.

"Counseling patients with chronic hepatitis B on the importance of medication adherence, and confirming reemergence of the virus and genetic mutations that cause resistance, can help to avoid unnecessary changes to antiviral treatments," said lead researcher Anna Lok.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, more than 4,500 Americans contract hepatitis B annually. Although the disease can be spread through unprotected sexual contact, the organization notes that it is more frequently transmitted by exposure to infected blood.