The role of the molecular biology laboratory in the management of chronic hepatitis B and C

Molecular biology techniques are routinely used nowadays to diagnose and evaluate antiviral treatment of patients with chronic hepatitis B (HBV) and hepatitis C virus (HCV) infections. Current tools at our disposal include tests that quantify the amount of circulating virus in the blood, techniques that can analyse genomic sequences to determine viral genotypes or subtypes, or determine amino-acid substitutions that may confer resistance to existing antiviral drugs. What is more, continuously evolving serological tests for the detection of viral antigens or their corresponding antibodies, have made diagnosis of disease as sensitive as possible. The present review will concentrate primarily on molecular diagnostics.