[Antiviral therapy of chronic hepatitis B patients resistant to lamivudine].
BACKGROUND
To evaluate the efficacy of alpha-2b interferon alone or combined with alpha1-thymosin in treatment of patients with chronic hepatitis B (CHB) resistant to lamivudine.


METHODS
Sixty six patients with CHB resistant to lamivudine were enrolled and randomized into treatment group A, treatment group B and control group. In the treatment group A 26 cases, after giving interferon-alpha alone for 1 month, lamivudine was withdrawn and continuously treated with interferon-alpha for 5 months. In the treatment group B 10 cases, after treatment with interferon-alpha and thymosin-alpha1 for 1 month, lamivudine was withdrawn and continuously treated with interferon-alpha and thymosin-alpha1 for 5 months. In control group (30 cases), after lamivudine was directly withdrawn, no anti-virus drug was given. Hepatic function tests and serum virological index were detected at regular intervals in all patients.


RESULTS
Normalization rate of hepatic function, HBV DNA seroconversion rate and HBeAg/HBeAb seroconversion rate in two treatment groups were significantly higher than those in control group.


CONCLUSIONS
The study suggested that interferon-alpha alone or combined with thymosin-alpha1 in treatment of patients with chronic hepatitis B resistant to lamivudine showed a beneficial effect.
Cui
Su-nan
SN
Ji'nan Infectious Disease Hospital, Ji'nan 250021, China. wmmcsn@163.com
Wang
Ming-ming
MM
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000998:Antiviral Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D004279:DNA, Viral / Q000097:blood / Q000235:genetics; D024882:Drug Resistance, Viral; D004359:Drug Therapy, Combination; D005260:Female; D006510:Hepatitis B Antibodies / Q000097:blood; D006513:Hepatitis B e Antigens / Q000276:immunology; D006515:Hepatitis B virus / Q000187:drug effects / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology; D019694:Hepatitis B, Chronic / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000821:virology; D006801:Humans; D000077190:Interferon alpha-2; D016898:Interferon-alpha / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D019259:Lamivudine / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D013947:Thymosin / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D016896:Treatment Outcome
D000998:Antiviral Agents; D004279:DNA, Viral; D006510:Hepatitis B Antibodies; D006513:Hepatitis B e Antigens; D000077190:Interferon alpha-2; D016898:Interferon-alpha; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D019259:Lamivudine; D013947:Thymosin