title: Antiviral Therapy in Chronic Hepatitis B With Mild Acute Exacerbation.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The aim of this study was to assess the efficacy and safety of peginterferon α-2a (pegIFN) and nucleos(t)ide analogues (NA) treatments in patients with hepatitis B envelope antigen (HBeAg)-positive chronic hepatitis B (CHB) with mild acute exacerbation (AE).
  
  
  METHODS
  Treatment-naive HBeAg-positive CHB patients with AE who received pegIFN or NA (entecavir (ETV) or telbivudine (LDT)) therapies were retrospectively selected. The HBeAg seroconversion rate, hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) loss rate and the cost-effectiveness of different treatments were compared.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A total of 63 patients with pegIFN therapy and 78 with NA (38 with ETV and 40 with LDT) therapy were included. The HBsAg loss rate was significantly higher in the pegIFN group when compared with the NA group (on week 96: 9/63 (14.29%) vs. 1/78 (1.28%), P = 0.005). No significant difference in hepatitis B virus (HBV) DNA negativity or the HBeAg/HBsAg seroconversion rate was found between ETV and LDT group. One year of pegIFN therapy resulted in 18.56 quality-adjusted life years (QALYs) per patient, and the incremental cost per additional QALY gained was $3,709.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  PegIFN therapy is safe in HBeAg-positive CHB patients with mild AE, as it results in a higher HBsAg loss rate and longer QALYs than NA therapy.
authors.affiliation: Liver Research Center, The First Affiliated Hospital of Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou 350005, China.
authors.forename: Su
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Lin
authors.affiliation: Liver Research Center, The First Affiliated Hospital of Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou 350005, China; Clinical Liver Center of the 180th Hospital of People's Liberation Army, Quanzhou 362100, China.
authors.forename: Qiaoxia
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Ye
authors.affiliation: Liver Research Center, The First Affiliated Hospital of Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou 350005, China.
authors.forename: Mingfang
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Liver Research Center, The First Affiliated Hospital of Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou 350005, China.
authors.forename: Yinlian
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.affiliation: Cardiology Department, The First Affiliated Hospital of Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou 350005, China.
authors.forename: Zhiyuan
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Weng
authors.affiliation: Liver Research Center, The First Affiliated Hospital of Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou 350005, China.
authors.forename: Yueyong
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Zhu
keywords: Acute exacerbation; Chronic hepatitis B; Entecavir; Peginterferon α-2a; Telbivudine