Dynamic changes of HBV DNA in serum and peripheral blood mononuclear cells of chronic hepatitis patients after lamivudine treatment.
OBJECTIVE
To study the dynamic changes of hepatitis B virus (HBV) DNA in serum and peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) of patients after lamivudine therapy.


METHODS
A total of 72 patients with chronic HBV infection were included in this study. All patients were confirmed to have the following conditions: above 16 years of age, elevated serum alanine aminotransferase (ALT), positive hepatitis B e antigen (HBeAg), positive HBV DNA in serum and PBMCs, negative antibodies against HAV, HCV, HDV, HEV. Other possible causes of chronic liver damages, such as drugs, alcohol and autoimmune diseases were excluded. Seventy-two cases were randomly divided into lamivudine treatment group (n = 42) and control group (n = 30). HBV DNA was detected both in serum and in PBMCs by fluorescence quantitative polymerase chain reaction (PCR), during and after lamivudine treatment.


RESULTS
In the treatment group, HBV DNA became negative both in serum and in PBMC, of 38 and 25 out of 42 cases respectively during the 48 wk of lamivudine treatment, the negative rate was 90.5% and 59.5% respectively. In the control group, the negative rate was 23.3% and 16.7% respectively. It was statistically significant at 12, 24 and 48 wk as compared with the control group (P<0.005). The average conversion period of HBV DNA was 6 wk (2-8 wk) in serum and 16 wk (8-24 wk) in PBMC.


CONCLUSIONS
Lamivudine has remarkable inhibitory effects on HBV replication both in serum and in PBMCs. The inhibitory effect on HBV DNA in PBMCs is weaker than that in serum.
Ke
Chang-Zheng
CZ
Department of Infectious Diseases, Taihe Hospital Affiliated to Yunyang Medical College, Shiyan, Hubei Province, China.
Chen
Yue
Y
Gong
Zuo-Jiong
ZJ
Meng
Zhong-Ji
ZJ
Liu
Li
L
Ren
Ze-Jiu
ZJ
Zhou
Zuo-Hua
ZH
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D004279:DNA, Viral / Q000097:blood*; D005260:Female; D006515:Hepatitis B virus / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D019694:Hepatitis B, Chronic / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000821:virology; D006801:Humans; D019259:Lamivudine / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D007963:Leukocytes, Mononuclear / Q000737:chemistry / Q000821:virology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D018894:Reverse Transcriptase Inhibitors / Q000627:therapeutic use*
D004279:DNA, Viral; D018894:Reverse Transcriptase Inhibitors; D019259:Lamivudine