Table 1.

Proposed definitions of absolute, functional and virological cures for new DAA therapies for chronic hepatitis B, as discussed in the text. Cures are based on the degree to which the patient’s age- and gender-adjusted risk of death from liver disease returns to that of an individual who has never been infected with HBV, or who has naturally resolved the infection, and can be predicted by virological markers. The correlation of an “Apparent virological cure” with reduced risk of death from liver disease will only be determined once long-term survival data have been obtained. Viral load is the DNA level detected in the circulation by standard commercial assays (Lok & McMahon, 2009). “Off-drug” indicates that therapeutic benefits continue after discontinuation of medication.

Parameter measured	Absolute cure	Functional cure	Apparent virological cure
Risk of death from liver disease	Same as person who was never infected.	Same as person with naturally resolved infection.	To be determined*
Viral load	Undetectable	Undetectable	Undetectable
HBsAg	Undetectable	Undetectable	Undetectable
cccDNA	Undetectable	Undetectable	Undetectable or repressed
HBsAb	Present	Variable	Present or Absent
Treatment status	Off-drug	Off-drug	Off-drug