title: Tenofovir in treatment of Iranian patients with chronic hepatitis B virus infection: An open-label case series.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Tenofovir is among the first-line treatments for chronic hepatitis B (CHB) virus infection. We evaluated the efficacy and safety of Tenofovir in treatment of Iranian patients with CHB.
  
  
  METHODS
  Forty treatment-native patients with CHB but without concurrent hepatitis C or human immunodeficiency virus infections were treated with Tenobiovir(™) 300 mg/day. The hepatitis B virus (HBV) DNA load, hepatitis B e antigen (HBe Ag), anti-hepatitis B e antibody (HBe Ab), liver enzymes, and creatinine were measured before and at least 3 months after the treatment.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The mean age of patients was 38.1 ± 12.4 years and 65% of them were male. Seventeen (42.5%) patients were HBe Ag-positive and 15 (37.5%) patients had alanine aminotransferase (ALT) of two times above the normal. The HBV DNA load was significantly decreased after the treatment (P < 0.001). Twenty-seven (67.5%) patients had viral load of ≤2000 IU/ml and 22 (55%) patients had undetectable HBV DNA level after the treatment. Among positive HBe Ag patients, the HBe Ag became negative in 15 (88.2%) patients after the treatment and HBe Ab became positive in 3 (17.6%) patients. Liver enzymes' levels were significantly decreased after the treatment (P <0.05) and ALT transaminase level became normalized in 86.7% (13 out of 15) of cases with baseline levels twice the normal.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Treatment response rate to Tenofovir in Iranian patients with CHB was high. The virological and serological response rate and safety of Tenofovir in our population was comparable to other populations. Considering availability and costs, Tenobiovir(™) could be recommended as the first-line therapy of chronic HBV infection in Iran.
authors: Infectious Diseases and Tropical Medicine Research Center, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran.
authors: Behrooz
authors: B
authors: Ataei
authors: Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran.
authors: Mahsa
authors: M
authors: Khodadoostan
authors: Department of Internal Medicine, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran.
authors: Babk
authors: B
authors: Pouria
authors: Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran.
authors: Peyman
authors: P
authors: Adibi
keywords: Chronic hepatitis B; Tenofovir; therapy