Lamivudine in chronic hepatitis B virus.
OBJECTIVE
To access the effect of one year treatment with Lamivudine, and its durability on patients with compensated chronic hepatitis B.


METHODS
Thirty-six patients with hepatitis B surface antigen positive, hepatitis B virus deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) positive, were treated with 100 mg Lamivudine daily for one year, irrespective of their liver enzymes level, alanine aminotransferase or hepatitis B envelope antigen status. Patients with normal alanine aminotransferase and negative hepatitis B virus DNA at the end of the treatment were responders and those with persistent response 16 weeks off treatment were considered having durable response.


RESULTS
Three patients dropped out and 33 patients completed the study. Eight patients (24.2%) had normal alanine aminotransferase, 25 patients (75.8%) had increased alanine aminotransferase. Thirty patients (90.9%) were hepatitis B envelope antigen negative. Two patients (25%) with initial normal alanine aminotransferase and 7 patients (28%) with increased enzyme level, responded at end of treatment. One patient with positive hepatitis B envelope antigen responded to treatment. Only one patient relapsed during follow-up period off treatment.


CONCLUSIONS
Lamivudine is associated with durable response in patients with hepatitis B virus and negative hepatitis B envelope antigen. Longer treatment for more than one year may be required to improve response rates.
Akbar
Hisham O
HO
Department of Medicine, King Abdul-Aziz University Hospital, Jeddah, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. gastro20000@yahoo.com
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000998:Antiviral Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D005260:Female; D006514:Hepatitis B Surface Antigens / Q000032:analysis; D006515:Hepatitis B virus / Q000276:immunology; D019694:Hepatitis B, Chronic / Q000188:drug therapy*; D006801:Humans; D019259:Lamivudine / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged
D000998:Antiviral Agents; D006514:Hepatitis B Surface Antigens; D019259:Lamivudine