Polyarteritis Nodosa and Hepatitis B Association

Clinical Context and Treatment Implications

• The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, as reported in MMWR Recommendations and Reports, notes that the association between polyarteritis nodosa (PAN) and hepatitis B is specifically with chronic HBV infection that progresses to persistent viremia, not with acute infection that resolves spontaneously 1
• The American Academy of Infectious Diseases, based on guidelines from MMWR Recommendations and Reports, indicates that acute HBV infection resolves spontaneously in >95% of immunocompetent adults and does not cause PAN, whereas PAN is a complication of chronic HBV infection with active replication 1
• The World Health Organization, in line with MMWR Recommendations and Reports, suggests that patients who achieve seroconversion obtain complete remission and do not relapse, confirming the disease is driven by ongoing chronic viral replication, although the exact strength of evidence is not provided in this context 1