Ryu Soo Hyung, Chung Young-Hwa, Choi Min Hee, Kim Jeong A, Shin Jung Woo, Jang Myoung Kuk, Park Neung Hwa, Lee Han Chu, Lee Yung Sang, Suh Dong Jin
Department of Internal Medicine, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Asan Medical Center, 388-1 Poongnap-dong Songpa-ku, 138-040, Seoul, South Korea.
J Hepatol. 2003 Oct;39(4):614-9. doi: 10.1016/s0168-8278(03)00394-5.
BACKGROUNDS/AIMS: In the treatment of chronic hepatitis B (CHB) with lamivudine, adequate duration of the therapy remains to be determined. In this prospective study, the authors intended to investigate whether long-term additional administration of lamivudine might enhance the durability of lamivudine-induced HBeAg seroconversion.
Eighty-five CHB patients who achieved HBeAg seroconversion by lamivudine received additional lamivudine therapy for at least 24 months at a dose of 100 mg per day. Among them, 61 patients whose serum HBeAg and HBV-DNA (solution hybridization assay) had been negative persistently for >24 months discontinued lamivudine therapy and followed-up for >12 months. We calculated the cumulative reappearance rate of serum HBV-DNA and HBeAg and also evaluated the predictive factors for post-treatment virologic relapse.
The cumulative reappearance rates of serum HBV-DNA following cessation of lamivudine therapy at 6 months, 1 year and 2 years were 15%, 21%, and 31%, respectively. The cumulative reappearance rates of serum HBeAg at 6 months, 1 year and 2 years were 11%, 13% and 16%, respectively. Old age and presence of precore mutant were two independent predictive factors for viral relapse.
These results suggested that long-term additional administration of lamivudine might enhance the durability of lamivudine-induced HBeAg seroconversion.
