The use of corticosteroids in conjunction with antiviral therapy in chronic hepatitis B with ongoing viral replication.
Eleven patients with hepatitis B e antigen (HBeAg)-positive chronic active hepatitis B were treated with an 8-wk course of prednisone followed by 28 days of adenine arabinoside 5'-monophosphate. Five individuals had a complete response (loss of HBeAg and DNA polymerase) whereas 3 had a partial response (sustained loss of DNA polymerase but persistence of HBeAg). At the present time 27 +/- 3 mo has elapsed since the completion of therapy, and 4 of 5 complete responders remain negative for replicative markers while the fifth person exhibited transient reactivation of infection. Elevated DNA polymerase has reappeared in two of the three partial responders, in one 22 mo after completion of therapy. These encouraging results have led to a randomized, controlled trial using short-term prednisone followed by recombinant alpha-interferon.
D000328:Adult; D001088:Arabinonucleotides / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D002986:Clinical Trials as Topic; D004359:Drug Therapy, Combination; D005260:Female; D006509:Hepatitis B / Q000188:drug therapy*; D006513:Hepatitis B e Antigens / Q000032:analysis; D006515:Hepatitis B virus / Q000502:physiology; D006521:Hepatitis, Chronic / Q000188:drug therapy*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011241:Prednisone / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D013997:Time Factors; D001084:Vidarabine Phosphate / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D014779:Virus Replication
D001088:Arabinonucleotides; D006513:Hepatitis B e Antigens; D001084:Vidarabine Phosphate; D011241:Prednisone