Li-Bo Yan1, En-Qiang Chen1, Lang Bai1, Ling-Yao Du1, Lan-Lan Chen1, Juan Liao1, Min He1, Hong Tang2. 1. Center of Infectious Diseases, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, People's Republic of China; Division of Infectious Diseases, State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, People's Republic of China. 2. Center of Infectious Diseases, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, People's Republic of China; Division of Infectious Diseases, State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, People's Republic of China. Electronic address: htang6198@hotmail.com.
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND AIMS: To evaluate the antiviral response of hepatitis B e antigen (HBeAg)-positive chronic hepatitis B (CHB) patients who had baseline high viral load (HVL), defined as having hepatitis B virus (HBV) DNA>9log 10 copies/mL, after 96weeks of entecavir (ETV) treatment. METHODS: A total of 99 HBeAg-positive CHB patients (50 with HVL and 49 with non-HVL) were treated with ETV monotherapy for 96weeks. RESULTS: Virological response (VR) (HBVDNA<300copies/mL) was achieved in 42%, 62%, 68% of HVL patients and in 67.34%, 85.71%, 85.71% of non-HVL patients at weeks 48,72,96, respectively. The VR rates of the HVL group were lower than those of the non-HVL group (P=0.006, P=0.007, and P=0.037). In the HVL group, a total of 30 patients had HBV DNA<1000copies/mL at week 48 and those patients had a 93.3% chance of achieving VR at week 96, whereas the patients who had HBV DNA levels>1000copies/mL at week 48 only had a 30% chance to achieve VR at week 96. Among the 96weeks of treatment, one patient had virological breakthrough in the HVL group and this patient had HBVDNA>1000copies/mL at week48. The rates of biochemical responses (BR) and HBeAg seroconversion (SR) were similar between the HVL group and non-HVL group at weeks 48 and 96. CONCLUSION: The baseline HVL was a negative predictor of virological response in CHB patients with ETV monotherapy. For those HVL patients treated by ETV with poor VR, which defined as HBVDNA>1000copies/mL at week48, the treatment strategies need to be adjusted.
BACKGROUND AND AIMS: To evaluate the antiviral response of hepatitis B e antigen (HBeAg)-positive chronic hepatitis B (CHB) patients who had baseline high viral load (HVL), defined as having hepatitis B virus (HBV) DNA>9log 10 copies/mL, after 96weeks of entecavir (ETV) treatment. METHODS: A total of 99 HBeAg-positive CHB patients (50 with HVL and 49 with non-HVL) were treated with ETV monotherapy for 96weeks. RESULTS: Virological response (VR) (HBVDNA<300copies/mL) was achieved in 42%, 62%, 68% of HVL patients and in 67.34%, 85.71%, 85.71% of non-HVL patients at weeks 48,72,96, respectively. The VR rates of the HVL group were lower than those of the non-HVL group (P=0.006, P=0.007, and P=0.037). In the HVL group, a total of 30 patients had HBV DNA<1000copies/mL at week 48 and those patients had a 93.3% chance of achieving VR at week 96, whereas the patients who had HBV DNA levels>1000copies/mL at week 48 only had a 30% chance to achieve VR at week 96. Among the 96weeks of treatment, one patient had virological breakthrough in the HVL group and this patient had HBVDNA>1000copies/mL at week48. The rates of biochemical responses (BR) and HBeAg seroconversion (SR) were similar between the HVL group and non-HVL group at weeks 48 and 96. CONCLUSION: The baseline HVL was a negative predictor of virological response in CHB patients with ETV monotherapy. For those HVL patients treated by ETV with poor VR, which defined as HBVDNA>1000copies/mL at week48, the treatment strategies need to be adjusted.