CLINICAL AND BIOCHEMICAL FEATURES OF THE DEVELOPMENT OF CHRONIC HEPATITIS B WITH FIBROTIC CHANGES

Abstract

Hepatitis B virus (HBV) is one of the leading causes of chronic liver diseases, including hepatocellular carcinoma and cirrhosis. The number of people infected with HBV worldwide is estimated to exceed 400 million, and infection-related complications have become a serious global public health problem. Assessment of liver fibrosis is crucial for therapeutic decisionmaking and prediction of outcomes in patients with chronic hepatitis B. Despite the availability of numerous non-invasive diagnostic methods, including the Fibrosis4 (FIB-4) index, Hepascore, FibroScan, FibroTouch, FibroIndex, and the Forns index, data on the effectiveness of non-invasive tests for assessing liver fibrosis in patients with hepatitis B remain limited. Recent studies have shown that the prevalence of HBV (HBsAg-positive) infection in the general population ranges from 10% to 20%. Effective management of patients with HBV requires continuous monitoring and follow-up, as well as identification of factors associated with liver fibrosis