What are the effects of immunosuppressive medications on hepatitis B?
Even in people with chronic hepatitis B, the immune system is working to suppress the virus. Medications that suppress the immune system allow the virus to reproduce in large numbers and may cause the hepatitis to flare. Examples of medications that suppress the immune system are: • prednisone: used to treat many diseases, including asthma, inflammatory bowel disease, and certain types of skin disease and arthritis • methotrexate (Rheumatrex, Trexall): used to treat certain types of skin disease, arthritis, and cancer; • cyclophosphamide (Cytoxan): used to treat some cancers. If an immunosuppressant drug is stopped, the body’s immune system’s activity may rebound and cause severe inflammation of the liver. What is delta hepatitis? Delta hepatitis is caused by a virus that only infects people who already have hepatitis B. The delta hepatitis virus (also known as hepatitis D or HDV) is an RNA virus, meaning that its genetic material is made up of ribonucleic acid. It is spread through ex
