The 20th United States-Japan joint hepatitis panel meeting

Abstract

Dr. Lemon closed the meeting by noting the power of recently developed molecular techniques to identify novel infectious agents like TTV and GB virus C, and the problems this has raised in determining their relevance to human disease. He cautioned against accepting the concept that these viruses might be 'normal virologic flora,' but rather considered them 'orphan' viruses in search of a disease. Finding disease associations may prove difficult if disease penetrance is relatively low with these exceptionally prevalent infections. He noted the increasing involvement of industry in the meetings of the U.S.-Japan Joint Hepatitis Panel, and welcomed their participation in the search for new therapeutic options for chronic hepatitis B and C. He remarked on the usefulness of meetings such as this in defining differences in the way in which clinicians in the United States and Japan approach the management of patients with chronic hepatitis.