title: Long-term follow-up of Japanese patients with chronic hepatitis B treated with interferon-alpha.
abstract: The long-term usefulness of interferon-alpha (IFN-alpha) in chronic hepatitis B remains controversial. To investigate the long-term efficacy of IFN-alpha therapy in chronic hepatitis B, 62 Japanese patients, including 27 patients treated with IFN-alpha (IFN group) and 35 patients without antiviral therapy matched by age and sex as controls (control group), were followed up for 2-14 years. At entry, the serum alanine aminotransferase (ALT) level in the IFN group was significantly higher than that in the control group (238.6+/-250.1 vs. 142.3+/-152.1 IU/l, P < 0.05). The prevalence of genotype C was 89%, with no difference between the two groups (93 vs. 86%). There was no significant difference in the presence of the precore mutation or the dual core promoter mutations between the IFN and control groups (37 vs. 46%, 74 vs. 66%). After long-term follow-up, the rate of sustained HBeAg seroconversion was comparable in the two groups (33 vs. 31%). Normalization of serum ALT level was seen in 44% of the IFN group and 51% of the control group, with no difference. There was also no difference in the percentage of cases with loss of serum HBV-DNA by PCR assay between the two groups (33 vs. 29%). During follow-up, two patients of the control group and three patients of the IFN group developed cirrhosis, and one of the IFN- treated patients progressed to hepatocellular carcinoma. The results of this long-term follow-up study showed that no benefit of IFN-alpha treatment was detectable during long-term follow-up in Japanese patients with chronic hepatitis B.
authors: Department of Clinical Molecular Medicine, Division of Diabetes, Digestive, and Kidney Diseases, Kobe University Graduate School of Medicine, 7-5-1 Kusunoki-cho, Kobe 650-0017, Japan.
authors: Bui Xuan
authors: BX
authors: Truong
authors: Yasushi
authors: Y
authors: Seo
authors: Miyuki
authors: M
authors: Kato
authors: Kenichi
authors: K
authors: Hamano
authors: Toshiaki
authors: T
authors: Ninomiya
authors: Megumi
authors: M
authors: Katayama
authors: Hirotaka
authors: H
authors: Kato
authors: Yoshihiko
authors: Y
authors: Yano
authors: Yoshitake
authors: Y
authors: Hayashi
authors: Masato
authors: M
authors: Kasuga
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000410:Alanine Transaminase / Q000097:blood; D006528:Carcinoma, Hepatocellular / Q000150:complications; D004279:DNA, Viral / Q000097:blood; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D005787:Gene Frequency; D005838:Genotype; D006510:Hepatitis B Antibodies / Q000097:blood; D006513:Hepatitis B e Antigens / Q000097:blood; D006515:Hepatitis B virus / Q000235:genetics; D019694:Hepatitis B, Chronic / Q000097:blood / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy*; D006801:Humans; D016898:Interferon-alpha / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D007564:Japan; D008103:Liver Cirrhosis / Q000150:complications; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000150:complications; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009154:Mutation; D011401:Promoter Regions, Genetic / Q000235:genetics; D013997:Time Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014758:Viral Core Proteins / Q000235:genetics
chemical_list: D004279:DNA, Viral; D006510:Hepatitis B Antibodies; D006513:Hepatitis B e Antigens; D016898:Interferon-alpha; D014758:Viral Core Proteins; D000410:Alanine Transaminase