title: Successful treatment with lamivudine may correlate with reduction of serum ferritin levels in the patients with chronic hepatitis and liver cirrhosis type B.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To study the changes in serum ferritin levels in lamivudine (LAM)-treated patients with chronic hepatitis and liver cirrhosis type B and determine whether successful treatment with LAM results in a reduction of serum ferritin levels.
  
  
  METHODS
  Thirty patients with chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection were followed prospectively during their treatment with LAM for 12 months. Serum HBV DNA, ferritin levels, and emergence of YMDD mutants were monitored. A case of severe liver cirrhosis with hepatic hemosiderosis that was treated successfully with LAM also is shown as a representative case.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Serum alanine aminotransferase and ferritin levels decreased significantly more in the patients treated with LAM without YMDD mutants (n = 23) than those with mutants (n = 7). Hepatic hemosiderosis along with serum iron markers improved greatly in the representative patient.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Successful treatment with LAM may reduce serum ferritin levels and improve hepatic siderosis in a subset of patients with chronic HBV infection.
authors: Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Graduate School of Medical and Dental Sciences of Niigata University, 1-754, Asahimachi-Dori, Niigata-city, 951-8122, Japan, okoshi@med.niigata-u.ac.jp.
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