title: Efficacy of initial treatment with clevudine in naive patients with chronic hepatitis B.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Clevudine, a pyrimidine nucleoside analogue, has potent antiviral effects in patients with chronic viral hepatitis B (CHB). We report the efficacy of initial treatment with clevudine in naïve patients with CHB living in Daejeon and Chungcheong Province, South Korea.
  
  
  METHODS
  One hundred five adults with CHB were administered 30 mg of clevudine per day for an average of 51 weeks. We evaluated viral markers and liver biochemistry retrospectively every 3 months.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), and hepatitis B virus (HBV) DNA before the treatment were 184 ± 188 IU/L, 150 ± 138 IU/L, and 7.1 ± 1.2 log copies/mL, respectively. Undetectable rates (< 60 IU/mL) of DNA were 36.2%, 68.9%, 83.6%, 76.2%, and 75.8% at 12, 24, 36, 48, and 60 weeks, respectively. Seroconversion rates were 9.1%, 13.6%, 24.6%, 26.5%, and 26.1% and ALT normalization rates were 64.5%, 78.1%, 87.9%, 90.0% at 12, 24, 36, and 48 weeks, respectively. Six patients (5.7%) had a viral breakthrough.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Clevudine is a useful drug in the initial treatment of patients with CHB, with a potent antiviral effect and low incidence of viral breakthrough.
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, Eulji University School of Medicine, Daejeon, Korea.
authors.forename: Hyeon Woong
authors.initials: HW
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.forename: Byung Seok
authors.initials: BS
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Tae Hee
authors.initials: TH
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Heon Young
authors.initials: HY
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Kwan Woo
authors.initials: KW
authors.lastname: Nam
authors.forename: Young Woo
authors.initials: YW
authors.lastname: Kang
authors.forename: Hee Bok
authors.initials: HB
authors.lastname: Chae
authors.forename: Seok Hyun
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Seok Bae
authors.initials: SB
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Hyang Ie
authors.initials: HIe
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: An Na
authors.initials: AN
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Il Han
authors.initials: IH
authors.lastname: Song
authors.forename: Sae Hwan
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Hong Su
authors.initials: HS
authors.lastname: Kim
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000410:Alanine Transaminase / Q000097:blood; D000998:Antiviral Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001086:Arabinofuranosyluracil / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D005260:Female; D006513:Hepatitis B e Antigens / Q000097:blood; D019694:Hepatitis B, Chronic / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000821:virology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012189:Retrospective Studies
chemical_list: D000998:Antiviral Agents; D006513:Hepatitis B e Antigens; D001086:Arabinofuranosyluracil; D000410:Alanine Transaminase; C034935:clevudine