Hepatitis B virus is a small DNA virus that affects 400 million people worldwide. The virus infects the liver and previous studies, done in tissue culture and in animals, have shown that viral replication is affected by metabolic changes occurring in the liver. Specifically, starvation induces HBV gene expression and replication, in parallel to the activation of the gluconeogenesis response, and feeding attenuates viral activity. In this study we are going to recruit HBV patients with detectable viremia and analyze their viral load after an over night starvation versus after a morning meal. Our hypothesis is that following an over-night starvation viral load will be higher than that in the fed state.

Inclusion Criteria:

• Hepatitis B virus patients with detectable viremia
• >18 years old
• signed a consent form

Exclusion Criteria:

• patients with malignancy
• Patients with diabetes mellitus
• Alcohol consumption of more than 140grams a week
• Advanced liver disease
• HCV or HIV infection
• Pregnancy
• Mental retardation or unable to understand basic explanation about the study -