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Interferon vs. adenine arabinoside 5'-monophosphate in patients with anti-HBe-positive chronic hepatitis.
- Source :
-
Journal of medical virology [J Med Virol] 1996 Aug; Vol. 49 (4), pp. 325-8. - Publication Year :
- 1996
-
Abstract
- Anti-HBe-positive patients with precore mutants may have severe, progressive liver disease. Therapy with interferon has been effective, but relapses are frequent. To evaluate and compare two antiviral treatments, lymphoblastoid interferon (ly-IFN) and adenine arabinoside 5'-monophosphate (ARA-AMP), 20 patients with anti-HBe-positive chronic hepatitis (5 cirrhosis and 15 CAH) and viral replication (HBcAg in the liver and HBV DNA in serum) were treated. Patients were randomized into two groups: 11 patients received ARA-AMP, 5 mg/kg/day during 7 weeks, and 9 received human ly-IFN, 5,000,000 units, three times per week, during 4 months. Baseline clinical, biochemical and histological features were not significantly different between the two groups. At the end of therapy, 8 (89%) patients in the interferon group and 5 (45%) in the ARA-AMP group showed normal ALT levels and no HBV DNA in serum by a liquid hybridization assay (P < 0.05). At 1 year of follow-up, a persistent response was observed in 33% of ly-IFN patients and in 27% of ARA-AMP patients, a transient response in 56% and 18%, and nonresponse in 11% and 55%, respectively. HBV DNA remained detectable by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) in 19 of the 20 patients. Among the responders, an improvement in histological lesion and the disappearance of intrahepatic HBcAg were observed; in the nonresponders, histological lesion remained stable or worsened. In conclusion, the efficacy of interferon and ARA-AMP was similar in treating anti-HBe-positive chronic hepatitis. Although interferon treatment led to initial improvement in a larger number of patients, there was a much higher rate of relapses with this drug.
- Subjects :
- Adult
Chronic Disease
Female
Follow-Up Studies
Hepatitis B immunology
Hepatitis B virology
Hepatitis B Antibodies immunology
Hepatitis B e Antigens immunology
Hepatitis B virus genetics
Hepatitis B virus immunology
Humans
Interferons adverse effects
Liver pathology
Male
Middle Aged
Vidarabine Phosphate adverse effects
Hepatitis B drug therapy
Interferons therapeutic use
Vidarabine Phosphate therapeutic use
Subjects
Details
- Language :
- English
- ISSN :
- 0146-6615
- Volume :
- 49
- Issue :
- 4
- Database :
- MEDLINE
- Journal :
- Journal of medical virology
- Publication Type :
- Academic Journal
- Accession number :
- 8877766
- Full Text :
- https://doi.org/10.1002/(SICI)1096-9071(199608)49:4<325::AID-JMV11>3.0.CO;2-9