title: [Drug therapy of chronic hepatitis B].
abstract: Medical therapy of chronic hepatitis B aims at halting progression towards cirrhosis/hepatocellular carcinoma by inhibiting replication of hepatitis B virus in a sustained fashion (viral elimination). The sole therapy of proven efficacy is interferon-alpha (5-10 Mio IU sc TIW) which leads within 4 months to viral elimination (seroconversion from HBeAg to anti-HBe-antibody; serum HBV-DNA negative by hybridisation) in approximatively 40% of patients. Interferon-alpha therapy has been shown to decrease hepatitis B associated morbidity/mortality and to be cost-effective. Certain nucleoside analoga such as lamivudine or famciclovir are able to stop hepatitis B virus replication in a large proportion of patients; replication promptly resumes however after cessation of treatment and resistance develops in approximatively 15% of patients treated for one year. The clinical value, in particular for interferon-alpha non-responders, of a combination of interferon-alpha and/or nucleoside analoga remains to be seen.
authors.affiliation: Abteilung für Gastroenterologie, Universitätsspital, Zürich.
authors.forename: E L
authors.initials: EL
authors.lastname: Renner
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Lavanchy
mesh_terms: D015075:2-Aminopurine / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000031:analogs & derivatives; D000998:Antiviral Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D000077595:Famciclovir; D006515:Hepatitis B virus / Q000187:drug effects; D019694:Hepatitis B, Chronic / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000401:mortality / Q000628:therapy*; D006801:Humans; D016898:Interferon-alpha / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D019259:Lamivudine / Q000008:administration & dosage; D018894:Reverse Transcriptase Inhibitors / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014779:Virus Replication / Q000187:drug effects
chemical_list: D000998:Antiviral Agents; D016898:Interferon-alpha; D018894:Reverse Transcriptase Inhibitors; D019259:Lamivudine; D015075:2-Aminopurine; D000077595:Famciclovir
vernacular_title: Medikamentöse Therapie der chronischen Hepatitis B.