High Risk of Liver Cancer in Anti-HBe Positive Liver Cirrhosis Patients with Lamivudine Resistance
The emergence of drug-resistant virus in hepatitis B virus patients treated with lamivudine (Epivir-HBV) is well documented. However, its clinical impact in the long-term treatment of anti-HBe positive compensated cirrhotic patients is not well known.
In this study, we treated 22 consecutive patients with anti-HBe compensated cirrhosis with lamivudine for a median period of 42 months.
Results
All patients responded to lamivudine, but viral breakthrough occurred in 13 patients (59%) between 9 and 42 months of therapy due to the emergence of a mutant strain.
During the follow-up, 11 developed hepatocellular carcinoma. Of these, 10 occurred soon after the emergence of HBV resistance, generally showing aggressive behavior, and one in the nine long-term responder patients (P = 0.013).
Lamivudine resistance was the only independent predictor of hepatocellular carcinoma development.
Conclusions
The authors conclude, 揙ur study suggests that the occurrence of lamivudine resistance increases the risk of hepatocellular carcinoma in anti-HBe positive cirrhosis and warrants further research.?/span>
09/22/04
Reference
P Andreone and others. High risk of hepatocellular carcinoma in anti-HBe positive liver cirrhosis patients developing lamivudine resistance. Journal of Viral Hepatitis 11(5): 439-443. September 2004.
[此贴子已经被作者于2004-9-22 19:09:43编辑过] |