title: Efficacy of entecavir treatment for up to 96 weeks in nucleoside-naive HBeAg-positive chronic hepatitis B patients with high viral load.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the antiviral response of hepatitis B e antigen (HBeAg)-positive chronic hepatitis B (CHB) patients who had baseline high viral load (HVL), defined as having hepatitis B virus (HBV) DNA>9log 10 copies/mL, after 96weeks of entecavir (ETV) treatment.
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 99 HBeAg-positive CHB patients (50 with HVL and 49 with non-HVL) were treated with ETV monotherapy for 96weeks.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Virological response (VR) (HBVDNA<300copies/mL) was achieved in 42%, 62%, 68% of HVL patients and in 67.34%, 85.71%, 85.71% of non-HVL patients at weeks 48,72,96, respectively. The VR rates of the HVL group were lower than those of the non-HVL group (P=0.006, P=0.007, and P=0.037). In the HVL group, a total of 30 patients had HBV DNA<1000copies/mL at week 48 and those patients had a 93.3% chance of achieving VR at week 96, whereas the patients who had HBV DNA levels>1000copies/mL at week 48 only had a 30% chance to achieve VR at week 96. Among the 96weeks of treatment, one patient had virological breakthrough in the HVL group and this patient had HBVDNA>1000copies/mL at week48. The rates of biochemical responses (BR) and HBeAg seroconversion (SR) were similar between the HVL group and non-HVL group at weeks 48 and 96.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The baseline HVL was a negative predictor of virological response in CHB patients with ETV monotherapy. For those HVL patients treated by ETV with poor VR, which defined as HBVDNA>1000copies/mL at week48, the treatment strategies need to be adjusted.
authors.affiliation: Center of Infectious Diseases, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, People's Republic of China; Division of Infectious Diseases, State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Li-Bo
authors.initials: LB
authors.lastname: Yan
authors.affiliation: Center of Infectious Diseases, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, People's Republic of China; Division of Infectious Diseases, State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: En-Qiang
authors.initials: EQ
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.affiliation: Center of Infectious Diseases, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, People's Republic of China; Division of Infectious Diseases, State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Lang
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Bai
authors.affiliation: Center of Infectious Diseases, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, People's Republic of China; Division of Infectious Diseases, State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Ling-Yao
authors.initials: LY
authors.lastname: Du
authors.affiliation: Center of Infectious Diseases, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, People's Republic of China; Division of Infectious Diseases, State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Lan-Lan
authors.initials: LL
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.affiliation: Center of Infectious Diseases, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, People's Republic of China; Division of Infectious Diseases, State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Juan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Liao
authors.affiliation: Center of Infectious Diseases, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, People's Republic of China; Division of Infectious Diseases, State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Min
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: He
authors.affiliation: Center of Infectious Diseases, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, People's Republic of China; Division of Infectious Diseases, State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, People's Republic of China. Electronic address: htang6198@hotmail.com.
authors.forename: Hong
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Tang
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000998:Antiviral Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000494:pharmacology; D005260:Female; D006147:Guanine / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000494:pharmacology; D006513:Hepatitis B e Antigens / Q000097:blood; D019694:Hepatitis B, Chronic / Q000097:blood / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000821:virology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009705:Nucleosides; D011446:Prospective Studies; D013997:Time Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D019562:Viral Load / Q000187:drug effects*; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D000998:Antiviral Agents; D006513:Hepatitis B e Antigens; D009705:Nucleosides; C413685:entecavir; D006147:Guanine