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Lamivudine treatment in maternally transmitted chronic hepatitis B virus infection patients
Author(s) -
Ni YenHsuan,
Huang FuChen,
Wu TzeeChung,
Kong ManShan,
Jeng YungMing,
Chen PeiJer,
Tsuei DawJen,
Chen HueyLing,
Hsu HongYuan,
Chang MeiHwei
Publication year - 2005
Publication title -
pediatrics international
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.49
H-Index - 63
eISSN - 1442-200X
pISSN - 1328-8067
DOI - 10.1111/j.1442-200x.2005.02101.x
Subject(s) - lamivudine , medicine , hbeag , hbsag , seroconversion , gastroenterology , hepatitis b virus , liver function , chronic hepatitis , hepatitis b , virology , virus , immunology
Abstract Background: Lamivudine treatment in chronic carriers who acquired hepatitis B virus through maternal transmission were investigated.Methods: A total of 29 subjects (Male : Female, 24:5; mean age, 14.7 ± 5.6 years) who were hepatitis B e antigen (HBeAg) seropositive for >6 months, alanine aminotransferase (ALT) was >1.3 times of upper limit of normal value, and receiving a 52 week‐long treatment, received open‐label lamivudine (3 mg/kg per day, maximum 100 mg/day). Another 29 subjects matched for gender, age, liver function, and HBeAg status followed up before the introduction of lamivudine served as the control group. The control group did not receive any treatment and were evaluated at week 52 after the onset of abnormal ALT. Mothers of all study subjects were hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) carriers. A successful treatment response at week 52 was defined as: (i) undetectable hepatitis B virus DNA by real time polymerase chain reaction; (ii) normal ALT; and (iii) HBeAg/anti‐HBe seroconversion. Lamivudine‐resistant YMDD mutants were checked at week 52.Results: The lamivudine group did not reach a better successful treatment response rate than the control group (17 vs 10%, P = 0.44), except in patients with a baseline ALT >5 times of the upper limit of normal value. YMDD mutants developed in 34% of patients in the lamivudine group.Conclusion: Lamivudine treatment is effective for maternally transmitted subjects with high ALT.