title: [Impact of liver steatosis on antiviral effects of pegylated interferon-alpha in patients with chronic hepatitis B].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the impact of hepatic steatosis on virologic response in chronic hepatitis B (CHB) patients treated with pegylated interferon-alpha (PEG-IFNa).
  
  
  METHODS
  Ninety-six naive patients positive for hepatitis B e antigen (HBeAg) and with biopsy-proven CHB were administered PEG-IFNa-2a or PEG-IFNa-2b for 48 weeks. Virologic response (HBeAg clearance and hepatitis B virus (HBV) DNA less than 5 log10 copies/ml) and biochemical response (alanine transaminase (ALT) normalization) were compared between patients with (n=34) and without (n=62) steatosis.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The HBV DNA titer in the steatosis group was significantly lower than that of the non-steatosis group (6.961.27 vs. 7.541.28 log10 copies/ml; t=2.161, P=0.033). After 48 weeks of PEG-IFNa treatments, there was no significant difference in HBeAg seroconversion or the percentage of undetectable HBV DNA (less than 3 log10 copies/ml) between steatosis and non-steatosis patients. However, the steatosis patients presented with a significantly lower complete response rate (virologic response plus biochemical response) compared to non-steatosis patients (26.5% vs. 48.4%; x² =4.373, P=0.037). Of the 45 CHB patients with undetectable HBV DNA after 48 weeks of treatment, seven did not achieve ALT normalization. The rate of patients with non-biochemical response was significantly higher in the steatosis group than in the non-steatosis group (33.3% vs. 6.67%; P=0.032).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Hepatic steatosis does not affect the virologic response, but does affect the biochemical response in CHB patients treated with PEG-IFNa for 48 weeks.
authors.affiliation: Hangzhou Sixth People's Hospital, Zhejiang University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Hangzhou 310014 China.
authors.forename: Jun-ping
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Shi
authors.forename: Lu
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Lu
authors.forename: Jian-cheng
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Qian
authors.forename: Jian
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Ang
authors.forename: Yun-hao
authors.initials: YH
authors.lastname: Xun
authors.forename: Jian-chun
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Guo
authors.forename: Wei-lin
authors.initials: WL
authors.lastname: Shi
authors.forename: Yu-fang
authors.initials: YF
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Jian-gao
authors.initials: JG
authors.lastname: Fan
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000998:Antiviral Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D005234:Fatty Liver / Q000150:complications* / Q000473:pathology / Q000821:virology; D005260:Female; D019694:Hepatitis B, Chronic / Q000150:complications* / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D000077190:Interferon alpha-2; D016898:Interferon-alpha / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D008099:Liver / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D011092:Polyethylene Glycols / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D011994:Recombinant Proteins / Q000627:therapeutic use; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D000998:Antiviral Agents; D000077190:Interferon alpha-2; D016898:Interferon-alpha; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D011092:Polyethylene Glycols; C417083:peginterferon alfa-2b