title: Long-term outcome of interferon-alpha therapy for chronic hepatitis B.
abstract: Interferon-alpha therapy has a beneficial effect in 30-40% of selected patients with chronic hepatitis B who respond by clearing hepatitis B e antigen (HBeAg) and hepatitis B viral (HBV) DNA from serum. This is usually associated with normalization of serum aminotransferase activities. On long-term follow-up of treated patients, it is apparent that many go on to clear hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) from serum with considerable improvement in liver histopathology. Among patients with clinically apparent chronic HBV infection such as those with decompensated cirrhosis or the nephrotic syndrome, a serologic response is usually followed by slow but steady clinical and biochemical improvement. However, even among patients who have cleared HBsAg from serum, HBV-DNA remains detectable within the liver and may provide a source of reactivation in rare patients in association with immunosuppression.
authors.affiliation: Liver Diseases Section, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, Bethesda, MD, USA.
authors.forename: A M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Di Bisceglie
mesh_terms: D001706:Biopsy; D002908:Chronic Disease; D005921:Glomerulonephritis / Q000209:etiology / Q000628:therapy; D006509:Hepatitis B / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology / Q000628:therapy*; D006514:Hepatitis B Surface Antigens / Q000097:blood / Q000187:drug effects; D006801:Humans; D016898:Interferon-alpha / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D008103:Liver Cirrhosis / Q000209:etiology / Q000517:prevention & control; D013997:Time Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D006514:Hepatitis B Surface Antigens; D016898:Interferon-alpha