Corresponding Author

Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, University Hospital Essen, University of Duisburg-Essen, Essen, Germany

Department of Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Endocrinology, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany

German Center for Infection Research (DZIF), HepNet Study-House, Hannover, Germany

equally contributing authors and share senior authorship.

Correspondence: Prof. Dr. med. Heiner Wedemeyer, Professor of Medicine, Director of the Department of Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Endocrinology, Hannover Medical School, Carl Neuberg Strasse 1, 30625, Hannover, Germany, Telephone +49 511 532–3305, Fax +49 511 532–4896, e-mail: Wedemeyer.Heiner@mh-hannover.de