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Natural course and response to interferon of chronic hepatitis B accompanied by antibody to hepatitis B e antigen
Author(s) -
Brunetto Maurizia Rossana,
Oliveri Filippo,
Rocca Giuseppe,
Criscuolo Domenico,
Chiaberge Elisabetta,
Capalbo Maria,
David Ezio,
Verme Giorgio,
Bonino Ferruccio
Publication year - 1989
Publication title -
hepatology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 5.488
H-Index - 361
eISSN - 1527-3350
pISSN - 0270-9139
DOI - 10.1002/hep.1840100213
Subject(s) - medicine , hepatitis b virus , hepatitis , hepatitis b , virus , interferon , immunology , liver disease , antibody , gastroenterology , virology , antigen , hepadnaviridae , alpha interferon , hepatology , interferon alfa
The course of chronic hepatitis B was studied in 30 patients who had antibody to hepatitis e antigen and hepatitis B virus DNA in the serum and hepatitis B core antigen in the liver. Over a 2‐year period, no patient experienced a sustained spontaneous remission of disease, and follow‐up liver histology revealed worsening of the disease in four patients. After 2 years of observation, 24 patients were allocated randomly to one of two groups: 12 patients served as untreated controls and 12 received recombinant human α‐interferon‐2a in a dose of 9 million units intramuscularly three times weekly for 16 weeks. Patients who remained viremic after 16 weeks received 3 million units three times weekly for an additional 8 weeks. Abnormal aminotransferases and serum hepatitis B virus DNA persisted without appreciable changes in all untreated patients. Hepatitis B virus DNA rapidly became undetectable and serum aminotransferases fell to normal in eight treated patients. After the end of treatment, hepatitis B virus DNA became detectable once again in seven patients, in six of whom a peak of aminotransferases (range: 256 to 850 units per liter) ensued; subsequently, hepatitis B virus DNA disappeared, and serum aminotransferases again fell to normal in two of the seven. Overall, hepatitis B virus DNA was no longer detectable in serum and liver histology improved in three treated patients. These results suggest that chronic hepatitis B with anti‐HBe in serum differs from chronic hepatitis with HBeAg in both natural history and response to interferon. Peculiar features are the frequency of spontaneous remissions and a high frequency of reactivation after a response to interferon. New and more effective schedules of antiviral treatment are needed for this subset of patients with chronic hepatitis B.