title: Treatment of chronic delta hepatitis with lamivudine vs lamivudine + interferon vs interferon.
abstract: Chronic delta hepatitis is the most severe form of chronic viral hepatitis for which interferon (IFN) is the only available treatment. In 39 patients (25 were treatment-naïve, 14 had previously used IFN), efficacy of 1-year treatment with IFN (9 MU, t.i.w.) or lamivudine (LAM; 100 mg, q.d.) alone was compared with IFN and LAM combination (2 months of LAM to be followed by combination treatment). IFN monotherapy was given only to treatment-naïve patients. In both treatment-naïve and previous IFN users, end of treatment virological and biochemical responses were similar with IFN-LAM combination and superior to LAM monotherapy (P < 0.05). Improvement in liver histology occurred more often with IFN +/- LAM than with LAM alone (P < 0.05). In treatment-naïve patients, combination treatment was not superior to IFN monotherapy. After treatment discontinuation, virological and biochemical response rates decreased in LAM and IFN combination and IFN monotherapy. On treatment virological response at month 6 of treatment predicted sustained virological response. The results of this study suggest that addition of LAM to IFN for the treatment of delta hepatitis is of no additional value and that both treatment modalities are superior to LAM monotherapy.
authors.affiliation: Gastroenterology Department, University of Ankara Medical School, Ankara, Turkey, and Hepatology Institute, University of Ankara, Ankara, Turkey. cihan.yurdaydin@medicine.ankara.edu.tr
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Yurdaydin
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Bozkaya
authors.forename: F O
authors.initials: FO
authors.lastname: Onder
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Sentürk
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Karaaslan
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Akdoğan
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Cetinkaya
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Erden
authors.forename: O
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Erkan-Esin
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Yalçin
authors.forename: A M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Bozdayi
authors.forename: R F
authors.initials: RF
authors.lastname: Schinazi
authors.forename: J L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Gerin
authors.forename: O
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Uzunalimoğlu
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ozden
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000410:Alanine Transaminase / Q000097:blood; D000998:Antiviral Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001706:Biopsy; D004359:Drug Therapy, Combination; D005260:Female; D019701:Hepatitis D, Chronic / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D007372:Interferons / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D019259:Lamivudine / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D008099:Liver / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012367:RNA, Viral / Q000097:blood; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D019562:Viral Load; D014766:Viremia
chemical_list: D000998:Antiviral Agents; D012367:RNA, Viral; D019259:Lamivudine; D007372:Interferons; D000410:Alanine Transaminase