Higher pretherapy and significant decrease during the first 12 months of therapy in serum laminin levels may associate with hepatitis B e antigen seroconversion in chronic hepatitis B patients treated with lamivudine.

Laminin participates in regulating immune response in addition to being a biomarker of liver fibrosis. Lamivudine has been shown to be able to restore cytotoxic T-cell response in chronic hepatitis B. In this study, fifty-two patients with HBeAg-positive chronic hepatitis B received lamivudine treatment for more than 12 months. Serum laminin levels were determined at baseline and during treatment and analyzed regarding treatment responses at the end of 12 months of therapy. The results showed that laminin levels at 12 months of treatment in patients who lost HBeAg were significantly lower compared with baseline (P = 0.001). The baseline laminin levels were higher in HBeAg seroconversion group than those without seroconversion (P = 0.037). Compared with baseline, the levels of serum laminin in HBeAg seroconversion group showed significant decrease (P = 0.001). It is concluded that higher pretherapy and significant decrease during the first 12 months of therapy in laminin levels may associate with HBeAg seroconversion in chronic hepatitis B patients treated with lamivudine, indicating the possible novel information of laminin for clinical reference.