[One year treatment with lamivudine in different hepatitis B virus related hepatic diseases].
BACKGROUND
Three month administration of lamivudine in patients with chronic hepatitis B produces a transitory inhibition of the DNA of the hepatitis B virus (HBV).


OBJECTIVE
The aim of this study was to evaluate the efficacy and safety of one year treatment with lamivudine in patients with chronic hepatitis B and liver transplantation (LTx) with recurrence of HBV infection.


METHODS
Sixteen patients with chronic hepatitis B, 4 patients with decompensated hepatic cirrhosis and 4 patients having undergone LTx with recurrence of HVB infection were treated with the oral administration of 100 mg/day of lamivudine for one year.


RESULTS
At 3 months of treatment, the HBV-DNA became negative in 94% of the cases of chronic hepatitis B, in 10% of those with decompensated hepatic cirrhosis and in 100% of the cases of LTx. At one year of treatment, the HBV-DNA was negative in 81% of the chronic hepatitis B, in 100% of the decompensated cirrhotics and in 100% of the LTX cases which survived. The tolerance to treatment was excellent in all the cases. In 34% of the cases, mutations were observed in the gene of the polymerase DNA at one year of treatment.


CONCLUSIONS
Lamivudine produces intense, rapid inhibition in viral replication not only in chronic hepatitis B but also in cases of decompensated cirrhosis or recurrence following liver transplantation. Around 30% of the patients undergoing one year of treatment with lamivudine developed gene mutations of the HBV polymerase.
Buti
M
M
Servicio de Hepatología, Hospital Universitario Valle de Hebrón, Barcelona.
Cotrina
M
M
Cruz de Castro
E
E
Jardí
R
R
Rodríguez
F
F
Esteban
R
R
Guardia
J
J
D000328:Adult; D000998:Antiviral Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D004279:DNA, Viral / Q000032:analysis; D005260:Female; D006515:Hepatitis B virus / Q000235:genetics; D019694:Hepatitis B, Chronic / Q000188:drug therapy*; D006801:Humans; D019259:Lamivudine / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D016031:Liver Transplantation; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012008:Recurrence; D018894:Reverse Transcriptase Inhibitors / Q000627:therapeutic use*
D000998:Antiviral Agents; D004279:DNA, Viral; D018894:Reverse Transcriptase Inhibitors; D019259:Lamivudine