[Liver histological changes after lamivudine treating in chronic hepatitis B patients with HBeAg positive].
OBJECTIVE
To investigate the histological changes in liver biopsy tissues taken from chronic hepatitis B patients with HBsAg and HBeAg positive and ALT abnormal after lamivudine therapy for one year.


METHODS
Lamivudine was given orally at the dose of 100 mg once a day for one year. 101 patients were enrolled into this open-label study. Paired liver biopsies from patients with hepatitis B before and after therapy with lamivudine were studied. Blinded biopsies were evaluated by a histopathologist and scored according to Knodell's histology activity index(HAI).


RESULTS
53.5% (54/101), 51.5% (52/101) and 31.7% (32/101) patients had a reduction of their total hepatic HAI score, necroinflammation and fibrosis scores by >or=2 points or 1 points at the end of one year of lamivudine therapy, compared with their pretreatment values, respectively. There were significant reduction of HAI score, necroinflammation and fibrosis scores from 8.0+/-4.7 to 5.2+/-3.3 (t=7.358, P<0.01), from 5.9+/-3.8 to 3.6+/-2.5 (t=7.298, P<0.01), and from 2.1+/-1.2 to 1.6+/-1.2 (t=3.827, P<0.01), respectively. The histological improvement was independent on the HBeAg seroconvertion during the therapy.


CONCLUSIONS
Significant improvement in liver histology, both necroinflammation and fibrosis, can be obtained in the majority of patients treated with lamivudine for one year.
Jin
Rong-hua
RH
Beijing Youan Hospital, Beijing 100054, China.
Lang
Zhen-wei
ZW
Yao
Guang-bi
GB
Guo
Xin-hui
XH
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000998:Antiviral Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D006513:Hepatitis B e Antigens / Q000032:analysis*; D019694:Hepatitis B, Chronic / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D019259:Lamivudine / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D008099:Liver / Q000473:pathology*; D008103:Liver Cirrhosis / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male
D000998:Antiviral Agents; D006513:Hepatitis B e Antigens; D019259:Lamivudine