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World J Gastroenterol 2004;10(24):3574-3578 World Journal of Gastroenterology Copyright © 2004 by The WJG Press ISSN 1007-9327
• VIRAL HEPATITIS •
End-of-treatment virologic response does not predict relapse after lamivudine treatment for chronic hepatitis B Chun-Jen Liu, Wen-Ling Huang, Pei-Jer Chen, Ming-Yang Lai, Jia-Horng Kao, Ding-Shinn Chen Chun-Jen Liu, Pei-Jer Chen, Ming-Yang Lai, Jia-Horng Kao, Ding-Shinn Chen, Division of Gastroenterology, Department of Internal Medicine, National Taiwan University Hospital and National Taiwan University College of Medicine, Taipei 100, Taiwan, China Wen-Ling Huang, Pei-Jer Chen, Ming-Yang Lai, Jia-Horng Kao, Ding-Shinn Chen, Graduate Institute of Clinical Medicine, National Taiwan University Hospital and National Taiwan University College of Medicine, Taipei 100, Taiwan, China Jia-Horng Kao, Hepatitis Research Center, National Taiwan University Hospital and National Taiwan University College of Medicine, Taipei 100, Taiwan, China Pei-Jer Chen, Ming-Yang Lai, Jia-Horng Kao, Department of Medical Research, National Taiwan University Hospital and National Taiwan University College of Medicine, Taipei 100, Taiwan, China Supported by Grants From the Department of Health, the National Science Council, Executive Yuan, Taiwan; National Taiwan University Hospital (93S022); and Liver Disease Prevention and Treatment Research Foundation, Taipei, Taiwan Correspondence to: Professor Jia-Horng Kao, Director, Hepatitis Research Center, National Taiwan University Hospital, 1 Chang-Te St., Taipei 100, Taiwan, China.
[email protected] Telephone: +886-2-23123456 Ext. 7307 Fax: +886-2-23317624 Received: 2004-02-06 Accepted: 2004-03-24
Abstract AIM: Attaining hepatitis B e antigen (HBeAg) seroconversion during lamivudine treatment is associated with fewer relapses in HBeAg-positive patients. In HBeAg-negative patients, predictors for post-treatment relapse remain largely unknown. We therefore studied whether end-of-treatment virologic response correlated with relapse after lamivudine treatment. METHODS: We prospectively analyzed 12 HBeAg-negative patients and 14 HBeAg-positive patients with chronic hepatitis B, who received at least 9 mo of lamivudine treatment and were followed up for 12 mo post-treatment. Relapse of hepatitis B activity was defined by an elevation of serum ALT level above twice the upper limit of normal as well as reappearance of serum HBV DNA by the branched DNA assay or HBeAg during the follow-up period. The serum viral loads during and at the end of treatment were further determined by a quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction assay. RESULTS: Relapse occurred in 6 (50.0%) HBeAg-negative patients within 12 mo post-treatment. Two relapsers had end-of-treatment serum viral load
