Long-term follow-up of chronic hepatitis B patients treated with interferon alfa.
BACKGROUND
There is very little data on the long-term outcome of patients with chronic hepatitis B after interferon therapy. A 6-year follow-up of two interferon trials in chronic hepatitis B patients is reported.


METHODS
One hundred twenty-eight Chinese adults with chronic hepatitis B who received interferon therapy were followed for 19-79 months (median 41 months). Twenty-nine patients lost hepatitis B e antigen and two also lost hepatitis B surface antigen within 1 year of treatment.


RESULTS
Seven (24%) responders reactivated. Twenty-eight (28%) nonresponders had sustained clearance of hepatitis B e antigen during follow-up. Delayed clearance of hepatitis B e antigen occurred more frequently in nonresponders who had elevated pretreatment serum transaminase levels. (P = 0.002). Serum hepatitis B virus DNA became undetectable by polymerase chain reaction assay in both responders who lost hepatitis B surface antigen but in only 8 (17%) patients who lost hepatitis B e antigen only. Delayed clearance of hepatitis B surface antigen was not seen in any of the 48 patients who had sustained clearance of hepatitis B e antigen.


CONCLUSIONS
Contrary to reports from Western countries, complete elimination of markers of hepatitis B virus infection was uncommon in Chinese patients with chronic hepatitis B who underwent interferon therapy despite similar duration of follow-up.
Lok
A S
AS
Section of Gastroenterology, Tulane University Medical Center, New Orleans, Louisiana.
Chung
H T
HT
Liu
V W
VW
Ma
O C
OC
D000328:Adult; D000410:Alanine Transaminase / Q000097:blood; D001483:Base Sequence; D002908:Chronic Disease; D004279:DNA, Viral / Q000032:analysis / Q000378:metabolism; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006509:Hepatitis B / Q000382:microbiology / Q000628:therapy*; D006514:Hepatitis B Surface Antigens / Q000378:metabolism; D006513:Hepatitis B e Antigens / Q000032:analysis; D006515:Hepatitis B virus / Q000235:genetics; D006801:Humans; D007370:Interferon Type I / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D008297:Male; D008657:Metabolic Clearance Rate; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D011994:Recombinant Proteins
D004279:DNA, Viral; D006514:Hepatitis B Surface Antigens; D006513:Hepatitis B e Antigens; D007370:Interferon Type I; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D000410:Alanine Transaminase