YMDD Mutation vs HBeAg Seroconversion

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Patients Develop YMDD Mutants During Long-Term Treatment with Epivir HBV, but Many Still Undergo E antigen Seroconversion, Despite the YMDD Mutant



By Mack Mitchell, MD



Long-term therapy with Epivir HBV selects for a YMDD mutant (variant) strain of HBV that is different in molecular structure to the wild type virus. These mutants develop in 67% of patients after 4 years of therapy with Epivir HBV. However, 33% of those who developed YMDD mutants underwent E antigen seroconversion and 69% had normal ALT after 4 years of therapy.



There have been only a small number of patients who developed evidence of hepatic decompensation following emergence of YMDD mutants. The majority of those who develop YMDD variants do not have clinical symptoms or worsening of their liver disease.







[ 此消息由 liver411 在 2001-12-07.05:40:00 编辑过 ]