Long-term treatment with entecavir induces reversal of advanced fibrosis or cirrhosis in patients with chronic hepatitis B.

Abstract

BACKGROUND & AIMS:

Long-term treatment with entecavir resulted in durable virologic suppression and continued histologic improvement in nucleoside-naive chronic hepatitis B patients. Patients with advanced fibrosis or cirrhosis, who received long-term entecavir treatment, were evaluated for improvement in liver histology.

METHODS:

The study included a subset of patients from phase III and long-term rollover studies, who received entecavir for at least 3 years, had advanced fibrosis or cirrhosis, and evaluable biopsies at baseline and after long-term treatment.

RESULTS:

Ten patients had advanced fibrosis or cirrhosis at baseline (Ishak fibrosis score, ≥ 4). After approximately 6 years of cumulative entecavir therapy (range, 267-297 wk), all 10 patients showed improvement in liver histology and Ishak fibrosis score. The mean change from baseline in Ishak fibrosis and Knodell necroinflammatory scores were -2.2 and -7.6, respectively. A reduction in Ishak fibrosis score to 4 or less was observed for all 4 patients who had cirrhosis at baseline.

CONCLUSIONS:

Chronic hepatitis B patients with advanced fibrosis or cirrhosis demonstrated histologic improvement and reversal of fibrosis and cirrhosis after long-term treatment with entecavir.

• Authors: Eugene R Schiff, Samuel S Lee, You-Chen Chao, Seung Kew Yoon, Fernando Bessone, Shun-Sheng Wu, Wieslaw Kryczka, Yoav Lurie, Adrian Gadano, George Kitis, Suzanne Beebe, Dong Xu, Hong Tang, Uchenna Iloeje
• Journal: Clinical gastroenterology and hepatology : the official clinical practice journal of the American Gastroenterological Association (Clin Gastroenterol Hepatol) Vol. 9 Issue 3 Pg. 274-6 (Mar 2011) ISSN: 1542-7714 [Electronic] United States
• PMID: 21145419 (Publication Type: Journal Article, Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't)
• Copyright: Copyright © 2011 AGA Institute. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Chemical References

• Antiviral Agents
• entecavir
• Guanine

Topics

• Antiviral Agents (administration & dosage)
• Clinical Trials as Topic
• Guanine (administration & dosage, analogs & derivatives)
• Hepatitis B, Chronic (complications, drug therapy)
• Histocytochemistry
• Humans
• Liver Cirrhosis (pathology)
• Male
• Microscopy
• Middle Aged
• Severity of Illness Index