title: Sustained response after a 2-year course of lamivudine treatment of hepatitis B e antigen-negative chronic hepatitis B.
abstract: Lamivudine has demonstrated efficacy for the treatment of hepatitis B e antigen-negative chronic hepatitis B (e-CHB). However, treatment withdrawal after 1 year has been associated with a high rate of relapse while long-term treatment is associated with increasing risks of drug resistance. We report our treatment experience of 50 Chinese-Canadian patients with e-CHB. All patients received lamivudine for 2 years. Treatment was withdrawn at month 24 in patients who had undetectable hepatitis B virus (HBV) DNA by PCR and normal aminotransferases during the second year of therapy. All patients had HBV genotype B or C. Biochemical response at months 6, 12 and 24 was 74%, 71% and 66%, respectively. HBV DNA was undetectable at months 6, 12 and 24 by hybrid capture and PCR assays in 100%, 92% and 86%; and 94%, 88% and 74% patients, respectively. The cumulative rates of genotypic resistance (GR) after 1 and 2 years were 15% and 25%, respectively. Four (44%) patients with GR experienced a hepatitis flare. The probability of clinical and virological relapse 6, 12, and 18 months after treatment withdrawal were 12% and 30%, 18% and 50%, and 30% and 50%, respectively. Reinstitution of lamivudine resulted in prompt virological and biochemical responses. Our study demonstrates that a sustained response can be achieved after a 2-year course of lamivudine in a subset of patients with e-CHB.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ont., Canada. scofung@med.umich.edu
authors.forename: S K
authors.initials: SK
authors.lastname: Fung
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Wong
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hussain
authors.forename: A S F
authors.initials: AS
authors.lastname: Lok
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D044466:Asian People; D002170:Canada / Q000208:ethnology; D024882:Drug Resistance, Viral / Q000235:genetics; D005260:Female; D005838:Genotype; D006513:Hepatitis B e Antigens / Q000097:blood; D006515:Hepatitis B virus / Q000187:drug effects / Q000235:genetics; D019694:Hepatitis B, Chronic / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000208:ethnology / Q000821:virology; D006801:Humans; D019259:Lamivudine / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009154:Mutation; D012008:Recurrence; D018894:Reverse Transcriptase Inhibitors / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D006513:Hepatitis B e Antigens; D018894:Reverse Transcriptase Inhibitors; D019259:Lamivudine