Long - term Efficacy and Durability of Lamivudine Therapy in Patients with Chronic Hepatitis B

Korean J Hepatol > Volume 7(4); 2001 > Article

The Korean Journal of Hepatology 2001;7(4): 423-431.

원저 : 만성 B 형 간질환 환자에서 라미부딘의 장기치료 효과와 치료 반응의 지속성 ( Original Articles : Long - term Efficacy and Durability of Lamivudine Therapy in Patients with Chronic Hepatitis B )

Long - term Efficacy and Durability of Lamivudine Therapy in Patients with Chronic Hepatitis B

Chae Yoon Chon,Sang Hoon Ahn,Kwang Hyub Han,Young Myoung Moon,Sung Pil Hong,Yong Han Paik,Byung Soo Moon

Department of Internal Medicine, Institute of Gastroenterology, Yonsei University, College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea

ABSTRACT

Background
/ Aims : It has been reported in patients with chronic hepatitis B, that the response rate of lamivudine therapy increases in proportion to the duration of the therapty. What was not well known was the durability of the therapeutic response after the cessation of lamivudine therapy in patients with chronic hepatitis B. Patients and Methods : We retrospectively analyzes 73 patients with chronic hepatitis B who were treated with lamivudine 100 mg orally once daily and followed up for more than 12 months between April 1997 and March 1999. Sixty-three patients were initially hepatitis B e antigen (HBeAg) positive and Hepatitis B virus (HBV) DNA positive(group Ⅰ). Ten patients were HBeAg negative and HBV DNA positive (group Ⅱ). Results : The response rates of group Ⅰ and group Ⅱwere 68.3% and 70.0% at 12 months, respectively(p=NS). In group I, cumulative HBeAg seroconversion rates art 1 year, 2years, and 3 years were 30.2%, 38.8%, and 42.4%, respectively. The cumulative durability of response was higher in group I than in group II (64.6% vs 33.3% at 1 year ; 35.4% vs 22.2% at 22.2% at 2 years p=.079); lamivudine therapy for more than 6 months after HBeAg seroconversion than for less than 6 months (90.0% vs 40.0% at 1 year ; 90.0% vs 20.0% at 2 years ; p=.013). Conclusions : The long-term response to lamivudine therapy showed no difference between HBeAg - negative/HBV DNA-positive and HBeAg - positive patients. The HBeAg serocinversion rate increased in proportion to the duration of lamivudine therapy. The durability of response. (Korean J Hepatol 200 1;7 :423 - 431)

KeyWords: Hepatitis/Viral/ chronic Hepatis B, Lamivudine, HBeAg seroconversion, Durability