title: Two-year follow-up study after treatment with lamivudine for chronic hepatitis B: seven cases reported.
abstract: 2 times baseline) and returned to seropositive for HBV DNA and HBeAg after lamivudine cessation. One of these five patients died of liver failure 3 months after treatment. However, in two of five patients whose alanine aminotransferase (ALT) had rebounded, HBV DNA became undetectable, and the ALT levels markedly decreased 2 years after the end of therapy. Since the disappearance of HBV DNA and stabilization of the ALT level were observed within two patients by 2 years after cessation of treatment, the patients whose ALT had rebounded should be followed up for a long-term period. To confirm the effect of lamivudine, long-term follow-up in many patients is necessary.
authors.affiliation: Second Department of Internal Medicine, Kurume University School of Medicine, 67 Asahi-machi, Kurume, Japan
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Ide
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Kumashiro
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Suzuki
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Tanikawa
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Sata