title: Long-term nucleos(t)ide analogues therapy for adults with chronic hepatitis B reduces the risk of long-term complications: a meta-analysis.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The effect of antiviral therapy in chronic hepatitis B (CHB) on reducing the risk of long-term complications (LTCs) remains unclear so far. To study whether long-term nucleos(t)ide analogues therapy can reduce the risk of long-term complications.
  
  
  METHODS
  We searched MEDLINE, EMBASE, OVID, the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials. Relative risks (RRs) of long-term complications with or without treatment were studied. Also subgroup analyses including the status of drug-resistance, HBeAg and pre-existing compensated cirrhosis were done using relative risks of long-term complications either with or without treatment or among nucleos(t)ide analogues treatment groups.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Six eligible studies (3644 patients in all) were included. Data showed the incidence of long-term complications in treatment groups was induced by 74%(RR:0.26, 95% CI: 0.15-0.47) compared with no treatment. Whether drug-resistant happened or not during the long-term therapy, the incidence of long-term complications was still significantly induced respectively by 45%(RR: 0.55,95%CI:0.40-0.76) and 78% (RR:0.22, 95%CI: 0.13-0.36). For both different status of HBeAg and pre-existing compensated cirrhosis, there was significant lower incidence of long-term complications in treatment groups compared with no treatment, too. Moreover, among the NA treatment groups, patients with drug-resistance had 2.64 times (RR:2.64, 95%CI: 1.58-4.41) higher chance of developing to long-term complications, and patients with pre-existing compensated cirrhosis also had 3.07 times (RR:3.07, 95%CI: 1.04-9.11) higher chance of developing to long-term complications.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Long-term nucleos(t)ide analogue therapy for adults with CHB prevents or delays the development of long-term complications including decompensated cirrhosis, CHB-related death or CHB-related HCC in patients with CHB. The patients who need take antiviral drugs should receive the antiviral therapy as soon as possible.
authors.affiliation: Department of Infectious Diseases, Institute for Viral Hepatitis, Key Laboratory of Molecular Biology for Infectious Diseases, Ministry of Education, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, PR China.
authors.forename: Qin-Qin
authors.initials: QQ
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Xuan
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: An
authors.forename: Ying-Hong
authors.initials: YH
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Shi-Ying
authors.initials: SY
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Qing
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Zhong
authors.forename: Jing
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Huai-Dong
authors.initials: HD
authors.lastname: Hu
authors.forename: Da-Zhi
authors.initials: DZ
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Hong
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Ren
authors.forename: Peng
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Hu
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000998:Antiviral Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D006528:Carcinoma, Hepatocellular / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000401:mortality / Q000517:prevention & control; D019694:Hepatitis B, Chronic / Q000150:complications* / Q000188:drug therapy*; D006801:Humans; D008103:Liver Cirrhosis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000401:mortality / Q000517:prevention & control; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000401:mortality / Q000517:prevention & control
chemical_list: D000998:Antiviral Agents