title: Biochemical Rather than Virologic Response to Interferon Therapy may be More Closely Associated with Decrease of Hepatocellular Carcinoma Incidence in Patients with Chronic Hepatitis B.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The authors examined whether the response to interferon (IFN) therapy can affect the development of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) in chronic hepatitis B (CHB) patients.
  
  
  METHODS
  Out of 353 biopsy-proven CHB patients, 229 (65%) were treated with IFN-alpha for 6 to 12 months. They were followed for a median period of 75 months (range, 6-120). In patients treated with IFN, biochemical and virologic responses were evaluated at the end of treatment (EOT). The cumulative incidence rates of HCC were calculated and analyzed in relation to baseline characteristics as well as biochemical and virologic responses to IFN therapy.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The overall cumulative incidence of HCC was 0%, 0.8%, 3.7% and 5.5% at 3, 5, 7 and 8 years, respectively. Age, serum AFP levels and the stage of fibrosis were significantly associated with the occurrence of HCC. As a whole, IFN therapy did not affect the occurrence of HCC. Among the patients treated with IFN, biochemical responders had low HCC incidence rates compared with non-responders (p=0.018). However, the HCC incidence rates of virologic responders were not different from non-responders (p=0.203).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Biochemical rather than virologic response to IFN therapy may be more closely associated with decrease of HCC incidence in CHB patients.
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, Asan Medical Center, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.
authors.forename: Danbi
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Young-Hwa
authors.initials: YH
authors.lastname: Chung
authors.forename: Sae Hwan
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Yoon-Seon
authors.initials: YS
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Don
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Jeong Eun
authors.initials: JE
authors.lastname: Hwang
authors.forename: Kang Mo
authors.initials: KM
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Young Suk
authors.initials: YS
authors.lastname: Lim
authors.forename: Han Chu
authors.initials: HC
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Eunsil
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Yu
authors.forename: Young Sang
authors.initials: YS
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Dong Jin
authors.initials: DJ
authors.lastname: Suh