Phunchai CharatcharoenwitthayaTeerha PiratvisuthMahidol UniversityPrince of Songkla University2018-10-192018-10-192013-09-01Current Hepatitis Reports. Vol.12, No.3 (2013), 165-17315410706154034162-s2.0-84881247607https://repository.li.mahidol.ac.th/handle/20.500.14594/31878Of currently available drugs for the treatment of chronic hepatitis B, pegylated interferon (peg-IFN) offers the highest rate of off-treatment sustained response with the finite course of treatment in the absence of viral resistance. However, its clinical use is compromised by the frequent occurrence of side-effects and the uncertainty as to whether a patient will actually benefit from this treatment. It is therefore a major challenge to identify accurate predictors of sustained response to peg-IFN. These are essential for selecting the optimal candidates for peg-IFN therapy, as well as for making decisions of termination of treatment for nonresponders. This article reviews the recent knowledge focusing on the following topics: baseline and on-treatment viral and host factors in the response to peg-IFN therapy, as well as response-guided therapy for chronic hepatitis B, particularly in the Asian population. © 2013 Springer Science+Business Media New York.Mahidol UniversityImmunology and MicrobiologyMedicineReviewSCOPUS10.1007/s11901-013-0175-5