title: Comparison of telbivudine versus lamivudine in interrupting perinatal transmission of hepatitis B virus.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Infection with hepatitis B virus (HBV) during pregnancy may lead to perinatal transmission.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To compare the efficacy and safety of telbivudine versus lamivudine in interrupting perinatal transmission of hepatitis B virus.
  
  
  METHODS
  All pregnant women enrolled in this study were positive for hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) and hepatitis B e antigen (HBeAg). Test patients underwent antiviral therapy with telbivudine or lamivudine while control patients received hepatitis B immune globulin (HBIG) injection.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Patients in the telbivudine group had significantly lower HBV DNA and HBeAg levels and higher HBV DNA negative conversion rates compared to those in the lamivudine group before delivery. HBV DNA negative conversion rates in patients with abnormal alanine aminotransferase (ALT) levels were significantly higher than those in patients with normal ALT levels in the telbivudine and lamivudine groups before delivery. The intrauterine HBV infection rate and the percentage of immunization failure were both 0% in the telbivudine and lamivudine groups (χ(2)=0, 0; P=1, 1 respectively), compared to both 5% in the HBIG group (χ(2)=11.83, 7.86; P=0.002, 0.009 respectively). The side effects of three groups in mother and child were all unobvious.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Telbivudine and lamivudine can reduce HBV DNA levels in pregnant women, interrupt the vertical transmission of HBV and be used safely in mothers and children.
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Second Affiliated Hospital of Southeast University, Nanjing 210003, China. Electronic address: yuminmin324@126.com.
authors.forename: Min-Min
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Yu
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Yixing People's Hospital, Yixing 214200, China.
authors.forename: Qian
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Jiang
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Second Affiliated Hospital of Southeast University, Nanjing 210003, China.
authors.forename: Ying
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Ji
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Second Affiliated Hospital of Southeast University, Nanjing 210003, China.
authors.forename: Kai-Hua
authors.initials: KH
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Second Affiliated Hospital of Southeast University, Nanjing 210003, China.
authors.forename: Li-Li
authors.initials: LL
authors.lastname: Ju
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Second Affiliated Hospital of Southeast University, Nanjing 210003, China.
authors.forename: Xun
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Tang
authors.affiliation: Department of Infectious Diseases, Second Affiliated Hospital of Southeast University, Nanjing 210003, China. Electronic address: yyf1997@163.com.
authors.forename: Yong-Feng
authors.initials: YF
authors.lastname: Yang
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000998:Antiviral Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D004279:DNA, Viral / Q000097:blood; D005260:Female; D006515:Hepatitis B virus / Q000302:isolation & purification; D019694:Hepatitis B, Chronic / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000517:prevention & control*; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D018445:Infectious Disease Transmission, Vertical / Q000517:prevention & control*; D019259:Lamivudine / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D008297:Male; D018743:Perinatal Care / Q000379:methods; D011247:Pregnancy; D011251:Pregnancy Complications, Infectious / Q000188:drug therapy*; D000077712:Telbivudine; D013936:Thymidine / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D019562:Viral Load; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D000998:Antiviral Agents; D004279:DNA, Viral; D000077712:Telbivudine; D019259:Lamivudine; D013936:Thymidine
keywords: Hepatitis B virus; Lamivudine; Pregnancy; Telbivudine