title: Effectiveness of add-on pegylated interferon alfa-2a therapy in a lamivudine-treated patient with chronic hepatitis B.
abstract: Hepatitis B virus (HBV) surface antigen (HBsAg) to anti-HBsAg (anti-HBs) antibody seroconversion is the best, final objective for all available chronic hepatitis B (CHB) treatments. Unfortunately, this goal is rarely obtained with the currently utilized therapeutic approaches. Here we describe the case of a CHB patient who was very successfully treated with a particular therapeutic schedule. The patient was initially treated with lamivudine for four years. Subsequently, pegylated interferon alpha-2a was introduced for a period of one year. During this period of combined therapies, the patient showed a flare of aminotransferase values followed by complete normalization of liver biochemistry parameters and HBsAg/anti-HBs seroconversion that persisted up to 24 months after all therapies had been stopped.
authors.affiliation: Division of Infectious Disesases, Bianchi-Melacrino-Morelli Hospital, Reggio Calabria, Italy. carmelo.mangano@tele2.it
authors.forename: Carmelo
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Mangano
authors.forename: Giovanni
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Squadrito
authors.forename: Irene
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Cacciola
authors.forename: Mariastella
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Carpentieri
authors.forename: Giuseppe
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Foti
authors.forename: Giovanni
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Raimondo
mesh_terms: D000410:Alanine Transaminase / Q000097:blood; D000998:Antiviral Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D004279:DNA, Viral / Q000097:blood; D004359:Drug Therapy, Combination; D006509:Hepatitis B / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology; D006510:Hepatitis B Antibodies / Q000097:blood; D006514:Hepatitis B Surface Antigens / Q000097:blood; D019694:Hepatitis B, Chronic / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy*; D006801:Humans; D000077190:Interferon alpha-2; D016898:Interferon-alpha / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D019259:Lamivudine / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D008297:Male; D011092:Polyethylene Glycols / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D013997:Time Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D019562:Viral Load; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D000998:Antiviral Agents; D015415:Biomarkers; D004279:DNA, Viral; D006510:Hepatitis B Antibodies; D006514:Hepatitis B Surface Antigens; D000077190:Interferon alpha-2; D016898:Interferon-alpha; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D019259:Lamivudine; D011092:Polyethylene Glycols; D000410:Alanine Transaminase; C100416:peginterferon alfa-2a