title: Long-term treatment with entecavir induces reversal of advanced fibrosis or cirrhosis in patients with chronic hepatitis B.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Long-term treatment with entecavir resulted in durable virologic suppression and continued histologic improvement in nucleoside-naive chronic hepatitis B patients. Patients with advanced fibrosis or cirrhosis, who received long-term entecavir treatment, were evaluated for improvement in liver histology.
  
  
  METHODS
  The study included a subset of patients from phase III and long-term rollover studies, who received entecavir for at least 3 years, had advanced fibrosis or cirrhosis, and evaluable biopsies at baseline and after long-term treatment.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Ten patients had advanced fibrosis or cirrhosis at baseline (Ishak fibrosis score, ≥ 4). After approximately 6 years of cumulative entecavir therapy (range, 267-297 wk), all 10 patients showed improvement in liver histology and Ishak fibrosis score. The mean change from baseline in Ishak fibrosis and Knodell necroinflammatory scores were -2.2 and -7.6, respectively. A reduction in Ishak fibrosis score to 4 or less was observed for all 4 patients who had cirrhosis at baseline.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Chronic hepatitis B patients with advanced fibrosis or cirrhosis demonstrated histologic improvement and reversal of fibrosis and cirrhosis after long-term treatment with entecavir.
authors.affiliation: University of Miami Hospital and Clinics, Miami, Florida, USA. eschiff@med.miami.edu
authors.forename: Eugene R
authors.initials: ER
authors.lastname: Schiff
authors.forename: Samuel S
authors.initials: SS
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: You-Chen
authors.initials: YC
authors.lastname: Chao
authors.forename: Seung
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kew Yoon
authors.forename: Fernando
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Bessone
authors.forename: Shun-Sheng
authors.initials: SS
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.forename: Wieslaw
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Kryczka
authors.forename: Yoav
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Lurie
authors.forename: Adrian
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Gadano
authors.forename: George
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Kitis
authors.forename: Suzanne
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Beebe
authors.forename: Dong
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Xu
authors.forename: Hong
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Tang
authors.forename: Uchenna
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Iloeje
mesh_terms: D000998:Antiviral Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D002986:Clinical Trials as Topic; D006147:Guanine / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000031:analogs & derivatives*; D019694:Hepatitis B, Chronic / Q000150:complications* / Q000188:drug therapy*; D006651:Histocytochemistry; D006801:Humans; D008103:Liver Cirrhosis / Q000473:pathology*; D008297:Male; D008853:Microscopy; D008875:Middle Aged; D012720:Severity of Illness Index
chemical_list: D000998:Antiviral Agents; C413685:entecavir; D006147:Guanine