[Short-term results of telbivudine versus entecavir treatments in HBeAg-positive chronic hepatitis B patients in China].
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate the efficacy and safety of telbivudine (LDT) versus entecavir treatments in hepatitis B e antigen (HBeAg)-positive chronic hepatitis B (CHB) patients.


METHODS
Eighty HBeAg-positive compensated CHB patients with HBV DNA more than 6 log10 copies/ml and serum ALT 2 x ULN were divided into two groups: a telbivudine treatment group, and a entecavir treatment group. HBV DNA, ALT and HBeAg were surveyed at baseline and at 12 and 24 weeks. The efficacy and safety of the two nucleoside analogues were assessed at 12 and 24 weeks.


RESULTS
Undetectable serum HBV DNA levels of the telbivudine group (50% and 80%) were similar to those of the entecavir B group (50% and 70%) according to the polymerase-chain-reaction assay at week 12 and 24. There were no significant differences in the normalization of alanine aminotransferase levels between the two groups at week 12 and 24 (52.5% vs 60.0%, 77.5% vs 75.0%). The mean reductions in serum HBV DNA from the baseline levels at week 12 and 24 were similar between the two groups [5.27 vs.5.36, 6.49 vs.6.18 log (on a base-10 scale) copies per milliliter]. More patients in the telbivudine group had HBeAg seroconversion at week 12 than those in the entecavir group (20.0% vs 5.0%, P = 0.043); however, there was no significant difference between the two groups at week 24 (27.5% vs 17.5%). No adverse reactions were found in either group.


CONCLUSIONS
There was no significant difference in HBV DNA undetectable rates and the ALT normalization rates between the two groups in a short-term therapy (24 weeks), but the telbivudine group had a higher rate in HBeAg seroconversion than that in the entecavir group at week 12.
Shi
Ke-qing
KQ
Department of Infectious Diseases, Second Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing 400010, China.
Zhang
Da-zhi
DZ
Guo
Shu-hua
SH
He
Hua
H
Wang
Zhi-yi
ZY
Shi
Xiao-feng
XF
Zeng
Wei-qun
WQ
Ren
Hong
H
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000998:Antiviral Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D005260:Female; D006147:Guanine / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D006513:Hepatitis B e Antigens / Q000097:blood; D019694:Hepatitis B, Chronic / Q000097:blood / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000821:virology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009705:Nucleosides / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D011744:Pyrimidinones / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D000077712:Telbivudine; D013936:Thymidine / Q000031:analogs & derivatives; D019562:Viral Load; D055815:Young Adult
D000998:Antiviral Agents; D006513:Hepatitis B e Antigens; D009705:Nucleosides; D011744:Pyrimidinones; D000077712:Telbivudine; C413685:entecavir; D006147:Guanine; D013936:Thymidine