HBsAg seroclearance in Chinese patients receiving lamivudine therapy for chronic hepatitis B virus infection.
We report two Chinese patients in whom lamivudine treatment resulted in HBsAg seroclearance. One patient received lamivudine, and another patient received 12-week famciclovir treatment followed by lamivudine. Lamivudine was maintained after HBeAg seroconversion. These two patients lost HBsAg at 24 and 27 months (ages, 23 and 19.3 years, respectively) and developed measurable titer of anti-HBs after 65 and 71 months of therapy, respectively. The liver biochemistry was normal after HBeAg seroconversion. The serum hepatitis B virus (HBV) DNA levels were undetectable (<200 copies/ml) both at the time of HBeAg seroconversion and at the last follow-up. Liver biopsy of one patient showed nearly normal histology, with undetectable intrahepatic total HBV DNA and covalently closed circular DNA. In conclusion, lamivudine therapy can result in HBsAg seroclearance at an early age even though the phenomenon is rare.
Department of Medicine, Queen Mary Hospital, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, People's Republic of China.
Man-Fung
MF
Yuen
Danny Ka-Ho
DK
Wong
He-Jun
HJ
Yuan
Siu-Man
SM
Sum
Ching-Lung
CL
Lai
D000328:Adult; D000998:Antiviral Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D006514:Hepatitis B Surface Antigens / Q000097:blood*; D006515:Hepatitis B virus / Q000187:drug effects / Q000302:isolation & purification; D019694:Hepatitis B, Chronic / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000821:virology; D006801:Humans; D019259:Lamivudine / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D008297:Male; D016896:Treatment Outcome
D000998:Antiviral Agents; D006514:Hepatitis B Surface Antigens; D019259:Lamivudine