title: Efficacy of 6-month interferon therapy in chronic hepatitis B virus infection in Japan.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  In Japan, there are few studies of long-term (more than 1 month) interferon (IFN) therapy for chronic hepatitis B (CHB). In this retrospective study, we investigated the efficacy and predictors of response to 6-month IFN therapy.
  
  
  METHODS
  We analyzed 66 Japanese patients with CHB who were treated with IFN for 6 months. They comprised patients who were hepatitis B e antigen (HBeAg)-positive (n=45) and -negative (n=21). One (2%), 8 (12%), and 51 (77%) patients were infected with hepatitis B virus (HBV) genotypes A, B, and C, respectively. Responders in patients positive for HBeAg were defined as those who showed normalization of serum alanine aminotransferase (ALT) level, HBeAg loss, and HBV DNA negativity at 6 months after completion of IFN therapy. In patients negative for HBeAg, responders were defined as those patients who showed normalization of ALT level and HBV DNA negativity at the same 6-month time point.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Of the 45 patients with HBeAg at the commencement of IFN therapy, 9 (20%) were responders. Young patients, especially those with a high serum ALT level, were significantly more likely to respond to IFN therapy. Of the 21 patients negative for HBeAg, 13 (62%) were responders. There were no significant differences in clinical characteristics between responders and nonresponders among patients negative for HBeAg. Multivariate analyses identified HBeAg negativity and young age as independent factors associated with a positive response to 6-month IFN therapy. However, long-term follow-up of the treated patients showed a fall in the response rate.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The response rate to 6-month IFN therapy among HBeAg-positive patients was low. However, young patients may require long-term IFN therapy.
authors.affiliation: Department of Gastroenterology, Toranomon Hospital, 2-2-2 Toranomon, Minato-ku, 105-8470, Tokyo, Japan.
authors.forename: Fumitaka
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Suzuki
authors.forename: Yasuji
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Arase
authors.forename: Norio
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Akuta
authors.forename: Akihito
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Tsubota
authors.forename: Yoshiyuki
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Suzuki
authors.forename: Hitomi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Sezaki
authors.forename: Tetsuya
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Hosaka
authors.forename: Takashi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Someya
authors.forename: Masahiro
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kobayashi
authors.forename: Satoshi
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Saitoh
authors.forename: Kenji
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Ikeda
authors.forename: Mariko
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kobayashi
authors.forename: Marie
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Matsuda
authors.forename: Junko
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Satoh
authors.forename: Hiromitsu
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Kumada
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000410:Alanine Transaminase / Q000097:blood; D044466:Asian People / Q000235:genetics; D004279:DNA, Viral / Q000235:genetics; D005260:Female; D005838:Genotype; D006513:Hepatitis B e Antigens; D006515:Hepatitis B virus / Q000235:genetics; D019694:Hepatitis B, Chronic / Q000188:drug therapy*; D006801:Humans; D007372:Interferons / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D007564:Japan; D008297:Male; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D016036:Seroepidemiologic Studies; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D004279:DNA, Viral; D006513:Hepatitis B e Antigens; D007372:Interferons; D000410:Alanine Transaminase