title: [Predictive factors and efficacy of lamivudine treatment in chronic hepatitis B infection].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Lamivudine, an oral nucleoside analogue, effectively suppresses hepatitis B virus (HBV) replications and improves liver enzymes as well as liver histology. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of lamivudine and the patient-dependent or laboratory variables that predict HBeAg seroconversion.
  
  
  METHODS
  We retrospectively analyzed 519 consecutive patients with HBeAg-positive chronic hepatitis B who were treated with lamivudine. The duration of lamivudine therapy was from 6 to 64 months (mean 20 months).
  
  
  RESULTS
  The HBeAg seroconversion was achieved in 192 patients (37%). The cumulative HBeAg seroconversion rates were 28% at 12 months, 39% at 24 months, 49% at 36 months, and 53% at 48 months. The predictive factors of lamivudine-induced HBeAg seroconvresion were the changing patterns of quantitative HBeAg level during lamivudine therapy, pretreatment quantitative HBeAg levels, ALT levels, and the duration of lamivudine therapy. One hundred eighty-three patients who had achieved HBeAg seroconversion showed patterns that HBeAg levels were continuously decreased. Therapy was discontinued after HBeAg seroconversion in 121 patients. Sixty-six patients experienced a relapse during the follow-up period (mean 8.9 months).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The continuously decreasing patterns of quantitative HBeAg levels during lamivudine therapy can predict HBeAg seroconversion in clinical settings.
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Ulsan University Hospital, Ulsan, Korea. nhpark@www.uuh.ulsan.kr
authors.forename: Neung Hwa
authors.initials: NH
authors.lastname: Park
authors.forename: Jung Woo
authors.initials: JW
authors.lastname: Shin
authors.forename: Jong Ho
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Park
authors.forename: Sung Jo
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Bang
authors.forename: Dae-yun
authors.initials: DY
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Kwang Ro
authors.initials: KR
authors.lastname: Joo
authors.forename: Do Ha
authors.initials: DH
authors.lastname: Kim
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000998:Antiviral Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D005260:Female; D006513:Hepatitis B e Antigens / Q000097:blood; D019694:Hepatitis B, Chronic / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000821:virology; D006801:Humans; D019259:Lamivudine / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D000998:Antiviral Agents; D006513:Hepatitis B e Antigens; D019259:Lamivudine