title: Incidence of hepatitis B viraemia, detected using the polymerase chain reaction, after successful therapy of hepatitis B virus carriers with interferon-alpha.
abstract: Thirty-nine patients (62 sera) who, after interferon-alpha therapy for chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection, were seronegative for HBeAg and HBV-DNA by dot blot hybridisation, were tested using the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) for residual viraemia. Overall, 59% of the HBsAg-positive sera and 43% of the HBsAg-negative sera were positive by PCR. All except one of the HBsAg-negative patients had seroconverted to anti-HBs. Between 13 and 18 months after therapy, 33% of the HBsAg-positive and 20% of the HBsAg-negative patients remained viraemic. Eighteen months after the end of treatment, no patient tested was positive. Twenty-three patients were tested sequentially over periods from 1 to 43 months: Thirteen lost HBV-DNA by PCR, three remained positive, five remained negative, and two patients relapsed. The merits and disadvantages of PCR for assessing interferon treatment of HBV carriers are discussed.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, St. Mary's Hospital Medical School, Imperial College, London, England.
authors.forename: W F
authors.initials: WF
authors.lastname: Carman
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Dourakis
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Karayiannis
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Crossey
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Drobner
authors.forename: H C
authors.initials: HC
authors.lastname: Thomas
mesh_terms: D001483:Base Sequence; D015139:Blotting, Southern; D002353:Carrier State / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy*; D004279:DNA, Viral / Q000032:analysis* / Q000235:genetics; D006509:Hepatitis B / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000188:drug therapy; D006510:Hepatitis B Antibodies / Q000097:blood; D006514:Hepatitis B Surface Antigens / Q000097:blood / Q000235:genetics; D006801:Humans; D007370:Interferon Type I / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D013997:Time Factors; D014766:Viremia / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000188:drug therapy
chemical_list: D004279:DNA, Viral; D006510:Hepatitis B Antibodies; D006514:Hepatitis B Surface Antigens; D007370:Interferon Type I; D011994:Recombinant Proteins