Chronic hepatitis has been in the focus of intense scientific research for decades. Recently, considerable progress and exciting new insights into pathogenesis and resulting therapeutic strategies have been made. Replication of hepatitis B and C viruses and details of life cycle in the host have been well characterised. Immunology in general and immunopathology of the liver in viral and autoimmune hepatitis have shown more specific mechanisms of host defence and new models of autoimmune aggression have been developed. The role of apoptosis in liver damage is now well appreciated and has been...