Adding interferon to lamivudine enhances the early virologic response and reversion of the precore mutation in difficult-to-treat HBV infection

[Guest guest]

J Gastroenterol. 2008 Jun;43(6):457-463. Epub 2008 Jul 4.

Adding interferon to lamivudine enhances the early virologic response and

reversion of the precore mutation in difficult-to-treat HBV infection.

Yuki N, Nagaoka T, Nukui K, Omura M, Hikiji K, Kato M.

Department of Gastroenterology, Osaka National Hospital, 2-1-14 Hoenzaka,

Chuo-ku, Osaka, 540-0006, Japan.

BACKGROUND: The virologic impact of adding interferon to antiviral nucleoside

therapy was studied in Japanese patients having perinatally transmitted

hepatitis B virus (HBV) genotype C. METHODS: Sixty-four patients including 41

positive for hepatitis B e antigen (HBeAg) were assigned to receive either (1) a

combination of interferon-alpha (6 million units daily for 2 weeks, then three

times weekly) plus lamivudine (100 mg daily) for 24 weeks followed by lamivudine

alone for 28 weeks (n = 30) or (2) 52-week lamivudine monotherapy (n = 34).

RESULTS: The combination treatment enhanced the early virologic response, and

HBV clearance was more frequent at week 8 for patients with baseline HBV DNA 7

log copies/ml (75% vs. 40%, P = 0.080). In the combination arm, YMDD mutants

emerged less often at week 52 (8% vs. 30%, P = 0.047). However, reversion of the

precore mutation was more prominent with combination treatment than with

monotherapy (McNemar test, P = 0.014 and P = 0.103, respectively). HBeAg

seroconversion (P = 0.429) and sustained off-treatment HBV suppression to

_________________________________________________________________

Making the world a better place one message at a time.

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[Guest guest]

J Gastroenterol. 2008 Jun;43(6):457-463. Epub 2008 Jul 4.

Adding interferon to lamivudine enhances the early virologic response and

reversion of the precore mutation in difficult-to-treat HBV infection.

Yuki N, Nagaoka T, Nukui K, Omura M, Hikiji K, Kato M.

Department of Gastroenterology, Osaka National Hospital, 2-1-14 Hoenzaka,

Chuo-ku, Osaka, 540-0006, Japan.

BACKGROUND: The virologic impact of adding interferon to antiviral nucleoside

therapy was studied in Japanese patients having perinatally transmitted

hepatitis B virus (HBV) genotype C. METHODS: Sixty-four patients including 41

positive for hepatitis B e antigen (HBeAg) were assigned to receive either (1) a

combination of interferon-alpha (6 million units daily for 2 weeks, then three

times weekly) plus lamivudine (100 mg daily) for 24 weeks followed by lamivudine

alone for 28 weeks (n = 30) or (2) 52-week lamivudine monotherapy (n = 34).

RESULTS: The combination treatment enhanced the early virologic response, and

HBV clearance was more frequent at week 8 for patients with baseline HBV DNA 7

log copies/ml (75% vs. 40%, P = 0.080). In the combination arm, YMDD mutants

emerged less often at week 52 (8% vs. 30%, P = 0.047). However, reversion of the

precore mutation was more prominent with combination treatment than with

monotherapy (McNemar test, P = 0.014 and P = 0.103, respectively). HBeAg

seroconversion (P = 0.429) and sustained off-treatment HBV suppression to

_________________________________________________________________

Making the world a better place one message at a time.

http://www.imtalkathon.com/?source=EML_WLH_Talkathon_BetterPlace