Interferon and lamivudine monotherapy on chronic hepatitis B in Japan.
OBJECTIVE
We show data of interferon (IFN) and lamivudine monotherapy on chronic hepatitis B in Japan.


METHODS
Data collected from sixty-six chronic hepatitis B (CHB) Japanese patients who were treated with IFN for 6 months were analyzed. The efficacy of long-term IFN therapy in 52 patients with e-antigen positive CHB, and data from 290 chronically HBV-infected patients who were treated with lamivudine for more than 3 years, were analyzed.


RESULTS
Six-month IFN therapy: among 45 patients with HBeAg at commencement of IFN therapy, nine (20%) were responders. Young patients especially those with high serum alanine aminotransferase (ALT) levels were much more likely to respond to IFN therapy. Twelve-month IFN therapy: theresponse rate was 31% among 52 patients with HBeAg. Long-term lamivudine therapy: YMDD motif mutation was detected in 167 of 290 patients (58%) during lamivudine treatment. Breakthrough hepatitis from lamivudine resistant virus was detected in 93 of 290 patients (32%). Finally, 813 patients were treated by lamivudine between September 1995 and February 2006. Fifteen patients lost HBsAg during and after lamivudine therapy.


CONCLUSIONS
Long-term interferon therapy has a better response than short-term interferon therapy. Some patients lost HBsAg during and after lamivudine therapy.
Suzuki
Fumitaka
F
Department of Hepatology, Toranomon Hospital, Tokyo, Japan.
Kumada
Hiromitsu
H