Long-Term Effect of Interferon Therapy in Patients with HBeAg Positive Chronic Hepatitis B Infection

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http://www.springerlink.com/content/4377475v5x14035l/

Long-Term Effect of Interferon Therapy in Patients with HBeAg Positive Chronic

Hepatitis B Infection

Journal Digestive Diseases and Sciences

Publisher Springer Netherlands

ISSN 0163-2116 (Print) 1573-2568 (Online)

Category Original Article

DOI 10.1007/s10620-010-1255-9

Original Article

Long-Term Effect of Interferon Therapy in Patients with HBeAg Positive Chronic

Hepatitis B Infection

Hakan Senturk1 , Birol Baysal1, Veysel Tahan2, Hasan Zerdali1, Resat Ozaras3,

Fehmi Tabak3, Ali Mert3, Billur Canbakan1, Omur Tabak4 and Gulsen Ozbay5

(1) Cerrahpasa Medical Faculty, Department of Gastroenterology, Istanbul

University, 34098 Cerrahpasa, Istanbul, Turkey

(2) Department of Human Researches, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center,

Pittsburgh, PA, USA

(3) Cerrahpasa Medical Faculty, Department of Infectious Diseases, Istanbul

University, Istanbul, Turkey

(4) Department of Internal Medicine, Istanbul Education and Training Hospital,

Istanbul, Turkey

(5) Cerrahpasa Medical Faculty, Department of Pathology, Istanbul University,

Istanbul, Turkey

Received: 9 December 2009 Accepted: 13 April 2010 Published online: 14 May

2010

Abstract

Introduction

Several studies have reported that interferon therapy increases elimination rate

of HBeAg and anti-HBe seroconversion in chronic hepatitis B (CHB) patients. We

aimed to evaluate long-term results of interferon-á treatment in HBeAg positive

CHB patients in a country with exclusively D genotype.

Methods

Seventy-one naive CHB patients (M/F 61/10, mean age 29 ± 12 years, range 16-62)

treated with 6 months of interferon-á 2b, 10 MU tiw and had a consequent

untreated follow-up period of at least 10 years with positive response were

identified and their data were reviewed. The therapy response was defined as

HBeAg seroconversion with undetectable HBV-DNA. The responders were followed-up

at 3-6-month intervals.

Results

Twenty-eight (39%) patients achieved HBeAg seroconversion (25 within the

therapy, 3 within the consequent 12 months off-treatment follow-up). The

responders were followed-up with a mean period of 152 months (range 123-181). In

the follow-up period, 21/25 (84%) initial responders relapsed. On the other

hand, 3 patients who did not respond at the end of therapy sustained the

response during follow-up. Hence 21/28 total responders relapsed (75%), either

with HBeAg reversion (3, 14.3%) or HBV-DNA elevation over 2000 IU/ml (or its

equivalent in other types of definitions) and ALT elevation (18, 85.7%). The

sustained response was present in 7 patients (9.8%). Serious side effects

precluding completion of treatment occurred in three patients (4.2%). In

multivariate analysis none of the pre-treatment parameters appeared to be

significant in predicting response.

Conclusion

Sustained response to interferon treatment is low in HBeAg positive CHB patients

with genotype D.

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Hakan Senturk

Email: drhakansenturk@...

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