title: Lamivudine therapy for Japanese patients with cirrhosis B.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The aim of this study was to investigate the emergence of YMDD mutants in patients with chronic hepatitis B during lamivudine therapy and to compare the emergence patterns of YMDD mutants in cirrhotic and noncirrhotic patients.
  
  
  METHODS
  Eighteen cirrhotic and 37 noncirrhotic patients with chronic hepatitis B were studied. The emergence of YMDD mutants was determined before, as well as at 1, 3, 6, 9 and 12 months after treatment using a highly sensitive method based on polymerase chain reaction.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Although YMDD mutants were elicited early, the emergence of YMDD mutants was not always associated with breakthrough hepatitis. YMDD mutants appeared in cirrhotic and noncirrhotic patients: in 22 and 8% at 1 month, 13 and 21% at 3 months, 46 and 19% at 6 months, 30 and 19% at 9 months, and 83 and 27% at 12 months, respectively.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  YMDD mutants emerge more frequently in cirrhotic than noncirrhotic patients during the early period on lamivudine treatment. The highly sensitive method may be useful for monitoring the development of YMDD mutants in patients with chronic hepatitis B during lamivudine therapy.
authors.affiliation: Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Kyoto Prefectural University of Medicine, Graduate School of Medicine, Kamigyo-ku, Kyoto, 602-8566, Japan. tokanoue@sun.kpu-m.ac.jp
authors.forename: Takeshi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Okanoue
authors.forename: Kojiro
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Mori
authors.forename: Toshihiko
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kirishima
authors.forename: Koji
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kunimoto
authors.forename: Kohichiroh
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Yasui
authors.forename: Yoshito
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Itoh
authors.forename: Masahito
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Minami
mesh_terms: D006528:Carcinoma, Hepatocellular; D004279:DNA, Viral / Q000032:analysis; D004352:Drug Resistance, Microbial / Q000235:genetics*; D005355:Fibrosis / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000209:etiology; D006515:Hepatitis B virus / Q000187:drug effects / Q000235:genetics*; D019694:Hepatitis B, Chronic / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy*; D006801:Humans; D007564:Japan; D019259:Lamivudine / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009154:Mutation; D018894:Reverse Transcriptase Inhibitors / Q000627:therapeutic use
chemical_list: D004279:DNA, Viral; D018894:Reverse Transcriptase Inhibitors; D019259:Lamivudine