TY - JOUR
T1 - Re-treatment of patients with anti-HBe-positive chronic hepatitis B who relapsed after an initial course of lamivudine
AU - Niro, G. A.
AU - Santantonio, T.
AU - Fontana, R.
AU - Insalata, M.
AU - Facciorusso, D.
AU - Signorile, F.
AU - Perri, F.
AU - Guastadisegni, A.
AU - Gioffreda, D.
AU - Palmieri, O.
AU - Pastore, G.
AU - Andriulli, A.
PY - 2003/11/1
Y1 - 2003/11/1
N2 - Aim: To evaluate the efficacy of a long-term course of lamivudine monotherapy in patients with anti-HBe-positive chronic hepatitis B who relapsed after the first course of either lamivudine/interferon (n = 16; Group 1) or lamivudine (n = 20; Group 2). Methods: Biochemical and virological tests were performed every 3 months. At baseline and breakthrough, the region coding for the YMDD amino acid motif was sequenced. Results: The length of re-treatment averaged 24 months. The virological response peaked at 6 months (94.4%), and declined to 66.7% and 50% at 12 and 24 months, respectively. The rates of breakthrough were 2.9%, 31.4% and 48.6% at 6, 12 and 24 months, respectively. By the second year, responders amounted to 62.5% and 40% in Groups 1 and 2, respectively (P = 0.10). The 18 responders at month 24 are still on therapy after 25-51 months of treatment: 14 still maintain a response, nine from Group 1 and five from Group 2. Conclusions: Re-treatment with lamivudine can control viral replication. This effect is maintained for the initial 12 months in two-thirds of patients, but afterwards the duration of response lessens due to the development of viral resistance.
AB - Aim: To evaluate the efficacy of a long-term course of lamivudine monotherapy in patients with anti-HBe-positive chronic hepatitis B who relapsed after the first course of either lamivudine/interferon (n = 16; Group 1) or lamivudine (n = 20; Group 2). Methods: Biochemical and virological tests were performed every 3 months. At baseline and breakthrough, the region coding for the YMDD amino acid motif was sequenced. Results: The length of re-treatment averaged 24 months. The virological response peaked at 6 months (94.4%), and declined to 66.7% and 50% at 12 and 24 months, respectively. The rates of breakthrough were 2.9%, 31.4% and 48.6% at 6, 12 and 24 months, respectively. By the second year, responders amounted to 62.5% and 40% in Groups 1 and 2, respectively (P = 0.10). The 18 responders at month 24 are still on therapy after 25-51 months of treatment: 14 still maintain a response, nine from Group 1 and five from Group 2. Conclusions: Re-treatment with lamivudine can control viral replication. This effect is maintained for the initial 12 months in two-thirds of patients, but afterwards the duration of response lessens due to the development of viral resistance.
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U2 - 10.1046/j.1365-2036.2003.01787.x
DO - 10.1046/j.1365-2036.2003.01787.x
M3 - Article
C2 - 14616157
AN - SCOPUS:10744221099
VL - 18
SP - 933
EP - 940
JO - Alimentary Pharmacology and Therapeutics
JF - Alimentary Pharmacology and Therapeutics
SN - 0269-2813
IS - 9
ER -