Long-term follow-up of hepatitis B chronic carriers who responded to interferon therapy.
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| Abstract |
We studied the long-term outcome of patients with chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection who responded to interferon (IFN) therapy. Between 1983 and 1988, 120 patients were included in 5 different protocols; 94 patients were treated with IFN and 26 were controls. Loss of serum HBV-DNA was considered a partial response and occurred in 34 of the treated patients and in 10 of the controls. Only the partial-response patients were followed up for 14-64 months (mean 46 months). HBeAg disappeared in 32/34 of the partial-response treated patients and in 9/10 of the controls. During the follow-up period, 6/34 (18%) treated patients and 1/10 controls suffered a reactivation of the disease with reappearance of HBV-DNA. Only 8/34 (23%) treated patients and 1/10 of the controls lost HBsAg; no statistical differences were observed in baseline characteristics between HBsAg-negative patients and patients who remained HBsAg-positive. Of eight HBsAg-negative treated patients, four were serum HBV-DNA-negative upon polymerase chain reaction and thus formed the HBsAg-negative control cases. Although the frequency of HBsAg loss in treated patients is relatively low, the improvement in liver disease obtained from IFN therapy is sustained over a long period.
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| Authors | V Carreño, I Castillo, J Molina, J C Porres, J Bartolomé |
| Journal | Journal of hepatology (J Hepatol) Vol. 15 Issue 1-2 Pg. 102-6 (May 1992) ISSN: 0168-8278 [Print] Netherlands |
| PMID | 1380526 (Publication Type: Journal Article, Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't) |
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