2Department of Gastroenterology, Asahikawa Red Cross Hospital, Asahikawa, 070-8530, Japan.
3Department of Hepatology, Sapporo Kohseiren Hospital, Sapporo, 060-0033, Japan.
4Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Ogaki Municipal Hospital, Ogaki, 503-8502, Japan.
5Department of Gastroenterology and Nephrology, Chiba University, Chiba, 260-8670, Japan.
6Department of Gastroenterology, Kyoto Prefectural University of Medicine, Kyoto, 602-8566, Japan.
7Department of Gastroenterology, Ikeda Municipal Hospital, Ikeda, 563-8510, Japan.
8Department of Gastroenterology, Osaka Rousai Hospital, Sakai, 591-8025, Japan.
9Department of Gastroenterology, National Hospital Organization Osaka Medical Center, Osaka, 540-0006, Japan.
10Department of Hepatology, Akashi Municipal Hospital, Akashi, 673-8501, Japan.
11Division of Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine, Hyogo College of Medicine, Nishinomiya, 663-8501, Japan.
12Department of Gastroenterology and Metabolism, Hiroshima University, Hiroshima, 734-8551, Japan.
13Hepatology Center, Shin-Kokura Hospital, Kitakyushu, 803-8505, Japan.
14Department of Gastroenterolgy, Fukuoka University, Fukuoka, 814-0180, Japan.
15Department of Gastroenterology, Musashino Red Cross Hospital, Musashino, 180-0023, Japan.
16Clinical Research Center, National Hospital Organization Nagasaki Medical Center, Nagasaki, 856-8562, Japan.
17Department of Gastroenterology and Life Style-Relate Disease, Kagoshima University, Kagoshima, 890-8520, Japan.
18Department of Gastroenterology, National Hospital Organization, Kure Medical Center and Chugoku Cancer Center, Kure, 737-0023, Japan.
19Department of Hepatology, Aso Iizuka Hospital, Iizuka, 820-8505, Japan.
20Ikeda K, Kumada H: Department of Hepatology, Toranomon Hospital, Tokyo, 105-8470, Japan.
AbstractBACKGROUND: We analyzed the 5-year post-treatment response to peginterferon α-2a (PEG-IFN-α-2a) in hepatitis B e antigen (HBeAg)-positive and negative chronic hepatitis B patients.
METHODS: One hundred thirty-seven chronic hepatitis B (CHB) patients receiving 90 µg or 180 µg of PEG-IFN-α-2a for 24 or 48 weeks in phase II or III studies were enrolled in the study, including 100 HBeAg-positive patients and 37 HBeAg-negative patients; 121 patients (88.4%) had genotype C.
RESULTS: Of the 137 patients, 94 received additional antiviral therapy because of viral reactivation and 43 did not receive any additional antiviral treatment during follow-up, while. Five years upon PEG-IFN-α-2a treatment, 32 patients (23.4%) who did not receive any additional antiviral agent after PEG-IFN-α-2a therapy achieved a good response (normal serum alanine aminotransferase, low-level HBV DNA, and HBeAg-negativity). Female gender and low HBV DNA levels by the end of treatment were independently associated with favorable 5-year post-treatment responses. Forty-eight weeks administration of PEG-IFN-α-2a showed a better response (26.4%) than 24 weeks administration (18.0%). Six patients (4.3%), four males and two females, cleared hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) during the 5-year follow-up period CONCLUSIONS: The 48-week administration of PEG-IFN-α-2a achieved better biochemical and virological responses than the 24-week administration, particularly in younger females. The 5-year post-treatment response rate was 23.4%; however, more than two-thirds of the patients received additional antiviral therapy because of viral reactivation after PEG-IFN-α-2a treatment. HBsAg clearance was noted in six patients (4.3%). PEG-IFN-α-2a is effective in young female patients. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.
This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.