title: Efficacy of peripartum antiviral treatment for hepatic failure due to hepatitis B virus.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the efficacy of oral nucleosides in preventing hepatic failure during pregnancy (HFP) caused by hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection.
  
  
  METHODS
  Besides receiving standard treatment, 70 women with HFP caused by HBV infection joined a study group (n = 40) or a control group (n = 30) according to their preference. In the study group, 14 women were given lamivudine in the third trimester and an antiviral treatment was continued postpartum. The 26 remaining patients were treated postpartum only, with lamivudine (n = 16) or entecavir (n = 10).
  
  
  RESULTS
  In the study group, the values for serum HBV DNA and hepatitis B envelope antigen were markedly lower at 1 and 2 months than they were at baseline (P < 0.001 and P < 0.001, respectively). Moreover, the HBV DNA values at 1 and 2 months were significantly lower in the study than in the control group (P < 0.05). Overall mortality and incidence of intrauterine infection were also significantly lower in the study group (P < 0.05). No newborns had any apparent abnormalities in either group.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Treatment with nucleosides suppressed the replication of HBV DNA and led to biochemical improvement. It also reduced maternal mortality and safely decreased mother-to-child HBV transmission.
authors: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Second Affiliated Hospital of Southeast University, Nanjing, China. yuminmin324@126.com
authors: Minmin
authors: M
authors: Yu
authors: Ying
authors: Y
authors: Ji
authors: Hongxiu
authors: H
authors: Jiang
authors: Lili
authors: L
authors: Ju
authors: Kaihua
authors: K
authors: Wu
authors: Naiying
authors: N
authors: Kan