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Comparison of interferon and lamivudine treatment in Japanese patients with HBeAg positive chronic hepatitis B
Author(s) -
Arase Yasuji,
Ikeda Kenji,
Suzuki Fumitaka,
Suzuki Yoshiyuki,
Kobayashi Masahiro,
Akuta Norio,
Hosaka Tetsuya,
Sezaki Hitomi,
Yatsuji Hiromi,
Kawamura Yusuke,
Kobayashi Mariko,
Kumada Hiromitsu
Publication year - 2007
Publication title -
journal of medical virology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.782
H-Index - 121
eISSN - 1096-9071
pISSN - 0146-6615
DOI - 10.1002/jmv.20928
Subject(s) - lamivudine , medicine , hbeag , gastroenterology , cirrhosis , interferon , immunology , hepatitis b , chronic hepatitis , alpha interferon , virology , hepatitis b virus , virus , hbsag
The aim of this study was to elucidate the long‐term outcome after interferon (IFN) or lamivudine (LMV) treatment in Japanese patients with hepatitis B e antigen (HBeAg) positive chronic hepatitis B. Inclusion criteria were biopsy proven chronic hepatitis or liver cirrhosis, no history of IFN or LMV treatment. Three hundred twenty‐seven patients satisfied above criteria were treated with IFN or LMV. The primary end point of our study was serum clearance of HBeAg and decrease of serum HBV‐DNA to ≤5 LEG/ml after the initiation of treatment. This study was a retrospective cohort study. Attainment of serum clearance of HBeAg and decrease of serum HBV‐DNA to ≤5 LEG/ml was regarded as response. Two hundred eighty‐six patients had got response after the initiation of treatment. The cumulative rate of response was 28.0% in the first year, 56.2% at the 5th year and 82.5% at the 10th year. Response occurred when HBV‐DNA load was high level of more than 7 LEG/ml, and serum ALT level was more than 100 IU/L, HBV genotype was B. IFN and LMV were the similar effect on response ( P = 0.410). On IFN therapy, cumulative rate of response in patients of <35 years was higher than that in patients ≥35 years ( P = 0.002). Our results suggest that (1) IFN and LMV are the similar effect on response, (2) IFN therapy is more effective for younger patients. J. Med. Virol. 79:1286–1292, 2007. © Wiley‐Liss, Inc.