In chronic liver diseases, an ongoing hepatocellular injury together with inflammatory reaction results in activation of hepatic stellate cells (HSCs) and increased deposition of extracellular matrix (ECM) termed as liver fibrosis. It can progress to cirrhosis that is characterized by parenchymal and vascular architectural changes together with the presence of regenerative nodules. Even at late stage, liver fibrosis is reversible and the underlying mechanisms include a switch in the inflammatory environment, elimination or regression of activated HSCs and degradation of ECM. While animal models have been indispensable for our understanding of liver fibrosis, they possess several important limitations and need to be further refined. A better insight into the liver fibrogenesis resulted in a large number of clinical trials aiming at reversing liver fibrosis, particularly in patients with non-alcoholic steatohepatitis. Collectively, the current developments demonstrate that reversal of liver fibrosis is turning from fiction to reality.

Reversal of liver fibrosis: From fiction to reality.

Objective Patients with chronic hepatitis B (CHB) are reported to exhibit higher risk of subsequent hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). However, it remains unclear if Chinese herbal medicine (CHM), an important category of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), may lower HCC risk in this population. So this study aimed to investigate the effects of CHM on HCC risk among patients with CHB. Methods This cohort study used the Taiwanese National Health Insurance Research Database to identify 21 020 newly diagnosed patients with CHB from 1998 to 2007. Among them, 8640 received CHM products after CHB onset (CHM users), and the remaining 12 380 patients were designated as a control group (non-CHM users). All enrolees were followed until the end of 2012 to measure the incidence rate and HR of HCC. Results During 15 years of follow-up, 371 CHM users and 958 non-CHM users developed HCC, representing an incidence rate of 5.28% and 10.18% per 1000 person-years, respectively. CHM users had significantly lower HCC risk compared with non-CHM users (adjusted HR=0.63, 95% CI 0.56 to 0.72). The predominant effect was observed in those receiving CHM products for more than 180 days (adjusted HR=0.52). Some CHM products, such as Hedyotis diffusa, Scutellaria barbata , Rehmannia glutinosa, Isatis tinctoria, Yi Guan Jian, Xiao Chai Hu Tang, Wu Ling San and Gan Lu Yin, were significantly associated with lower risk of HCC. Conclusions The use of CHM was associated with a significantly reduced HCC risk in patients with CHB, which supports the integration of TCM with CHM into clinical practice to influence a favourable prognosis.

https://bmjopen.bmj.com/content/bmjopen/7/1/e014571.full.pdf

Associations Between Prescribed Chinese Herbal Medicine and Risk of Hepatocellular Carcinoma in Patients With Chronic Hepatitis B: A Nationwide Population-Based Cohort Study

http://www.journal-of-hepatology.eu/article/S0168827822029828/pdf

Entecavir plus Biejia-Ruangan compound reduces the risk of hepatocellular carcinoma in Chinese patients with chronic hepatitis B.

Background and aims Long-term nucleos(t)ide analogues (NAs) treatment can reverse liver fibrosis in chronic hepatitis B (CHB), but its effect on fibrosis regression remains limited. Biejia-Ruangan (BR) has been approved in China as an anti-fibrotic traditional Chinese medicine drug in patients with chronic liver diseases. A multicenter randomized controlled trial aims to evaluate the effect of BR on fibrosis regression in CHB patients treated with NAs. Methods CHB patients with histologically confirmed advanced fibrosis or cirrhosis were randomly assigned to receive entecavir (ETV) (0.5mg per day) plus BR (2g three times a day) or placebo for 72 weeks. Liver fibrosis regression was defined as a reduction of ≥1 point by the Ishak Fibrosis Stage (IFS). Results Overall, 500 patients were enrolled in each group as the intention-to-treat population. The rate of fibrosis regression after 72 week treatment was significantly higher in ETV+BR group (40% versus 31.8%, P=0.0069). Among 388 patients with cirrhosis (i.e., IFS ≥5) at baseline, the rate of cirrhosis reversal (i.e., IFS ≤4) was significantly higher in ETV+BR group (41.5% versus 30.7%, P=0.0103). Conclusions Addition of BR to the current standard treatment with NAs in CHB patients with advanced fibrosis or cirrhosis can improve liver fibrosis regression.

Synergistic Effect of Biejia-Ruangan on Fibrosis Regression in Patients with Chronic Hepatitis B Treated with Entecavir: A Multicenter, Randomized, Double-Blinded, Placebo-Controlled Trial.

Unreliable Estimation of Fibrosis Regression During Treatment by Liver Stiffness Measurement in Patients With Chronic Hepatitis B.

Background: Chronic hepatitis B (CHB) can progress to cirrhosis, hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and ultimately liver-related death. Although oral antiviral therapy for patients with CHB reduces the risk of such complications, once cirrhosis is established, the benefits of antiviral therapy are not robustly demonstrated. According to traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), some Chinese herbal medicines promote blood circulation and soften hard masses, and therefore they may block and reverse hepatic fibrosis. The aim of this study is to evaluate the effects of TCM tablets of the compound biejia ruangan (RGT) administered for fibrosis, and entecavir (ETV), on the development of HCC in patients with CHB or hepatitis B virus (HBV)-related compensated cirrhosis. Methods/design: This multicenter, centrally randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, parallel-group study is planned to complete within 5 years. For the study, 1,000 with CHB or HBV-related compensated cirrhosis are randomly assigned in a 1:1 ratio to a treatment group (0.5 mg ETV once daily; 2 g RGT three times daily) or a control group (0.5 mg ETV once daily; 2 g RGT dummy agent three times daily). The primary end points are the development of HCC and liver-related death. Secondary end points include disease progression and overall survival. Discussion: Although antiviral therapy can achieve sustained suppression of HBV replication, thereby preventing cirrhosis, patients with CHB treated with nucleos(t)ide analogs (NUCs) retain a higher risk for HCC compared with patients with inactive disease. Although previous clinical trials with RGT have confirmed the efficacy of blocking and reversing hepatic fibrosis in patients with CHB or compensated cirrhosis, the long-term risk for HCC or disease progression in these patients treated with combination of RGT and NUCs compared with NUCs alone is unclear. Therefore, it is necessary to investigate the effects of the RGT blockade and reversal of hepatic fibrosis on the development of HCC in patients with CHB or HBV-related compensated cirrhosis in large, prospective, multicenter, double-blind, randomized, controlled trials in China.

https://link.springer.com/content/pdf/10.1186%2F1745-6215-15-438.pdf

Blocking and reversing hepatic fibrosis in patients with chronic hepatitis B treated by traditional Chinese medicine (tablets of biejia ruangan or RGT): study protocol for a randomized controlled trial.

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Blocking and reversing hepatic fibrosis in patients with chronic hepatitis B treated by traditional Chinese medicine (tablets of biejia ruangan or RGT): study protocol for a randomized controlled trial.