HBsAg seroconversion after pegylated interferon alfa 2a rescue in a lamivudine-resistant patient with HBeAg-negative chronic hepatitis B and favourable IL28-B genotype.

Hepatitis B virus (HBV) surface antigen (HBsAg) seroconversion to anti-HBs antibody is the best final objective for all available chronic hepatitis B (CHB) treatments. Unfortunately, this goal is rarely achieved with the currently applied therapeutic approaches. Here we describe the case of an anti-HBe-positive CHB patient who was successfully treated with a particular therapeutic schedule. The patient was initially treated with lamivudine (LAM) for nine years. Breakthrough was observed after eight years of LAM therapy. HBV-DNA was 3x10E4 IU/mL and LAM resistance mutations were present. Subcutaneous pegylated interferon (PEG-IFN) alfa 2a, 180 mcg/week, was added to LAM and after 4 weeks LAM was discontinued and PEG-IFN alone was continued up to week 52. HBV-DNA became undetectable at week 4 of therapy; serum HBsAg started to decline from week 4 and became undetectable at week 36, with the subsequent appearance of anti-HBs antibodies. IL28-B was genotyped at the polymorphic site rs12979860 and the CC allele was detected. Rescue therapy with Peg-IFN may be an option for selected patients with resistance to nucleos(t)ide analogues.