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.
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.
Lee
Danbi
D
Department of Internal Medicine, Asan Medical Center, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.
Chung
Young-Hwa
YH
Lee
Sae Hwan
SH
Lee
Yoon-Seon
YS
Lee
Don
D
Hwang
Jeong Eun
JE
Kim
Kang Mo
KM
Lim
Young Suk
YS
Lee
Han Chu
HC
Yu
Eunsil
E
Lee
Young Sang
YS
Suh
Dong Jin
DJ