The Role of Chinese Medicine in the Treatment of Chronic Hepatitis B

The pathogenesis of chronic hepatitis B (CHB) involves complex mechanisms, and hepatitis B virus (HBV)-induced immune responses play a central role in hepatocyte injury and inflammatory necrosis. CHB infection not only drives liver pathology but also demonstrates significant extrahepatic associations which include depression, cognitive dysfunction, diabetes mellitus, insomnia, non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, and thrombocytopenia. Conventional Western medicine primarily employs antiviral therapy but faces limitations which include low hepatitis B surface antigen clearance rates and frequent adverse drug reactions. In contrast, traditional Chinese medicine demonstrates therapeutic advantages in CHB management which are exemplified by Artemisia capillaris, Xiaochaihu Decoction and Fuzheng Huayu Tablet. Through its modulation of immune pathways and intervention in key HBV lifecycle targets, traditional Chinese medicine achieves a tripartite therapeutic synergy that combines immune reconstitution, viral suppression, and hepatic repair. Chinese medical interventions exhibit characteristic multi-ingredient, multi-target mechanisms that possess immunomodulatory effects in CHB management. Future research should employ modern technologies to elucidate these mechanisms further and thus facilitate the development of optimized treatment protocols. Standardized therapeutic approaches derived from such evidence will hold significant clinical value.