Asian-Pacific countries are the major regions where various liver diseases, especially HBV and HCV associated liver diseases, occur and prevail. This area has gathered more than 75% of HBV and HCV carriers all over the world. And with the development of the economy situation in APASL countries, the prevalence of NASH (nonalcoholic steatohepatitis) and alcoholic liver disease may increase further.

 

　　Big progresses have been made on the study of HCV recent years, and patients receiving those novel improved treatments have shown sustained response for vial controlling. The inspiring results let us believe that the infection of HCV will be ended in the near future. However, contrary to the upbeat progress in HCV study, the case of the researches in HBV is quite different. Although the application of nucleotide analogues for suppressing HBV replication has exhibited optimistic result, the complete eradication of HBV infection is still a tough question we are facing. After infecting the liver cells, HBV virus can make cccDNAs, which are special DNA structures that arise during the virus propagation inside the cell nucleus and may remain permanently there. HBV can also lead to hepatic carcinoma through the integration of its own DNA into the human genome. Although we have been able to control the inflammation of the liver cells after HBV infection as well as the replication of HBV, it is still difficult to eradicate the integrated viral DNAs and the leftover cccDNAs inside the liver cells.

 

　　In his presidential lecture, Dr. Osamu Yokosuka, the President of APASL2016 will give his sights about the situation of liver disease in Asian-Pacific countries and the urgent matters we are facing nowadays in the fighting against HCV and HBV infection, and the related liver diseases.

 

Presidential Lecture - "The Situation of Liver Diseases in APASL Countries / HCV and HBV"

 

Room 1BC

 

08:45 - 09:00