A case report of treatment with pegylated interferon alpha for lamivudine-resistant chronic hepatitis B virus infection.
10.3350/kjhep.2008.14.4.513
- Author:
Won Haing HUR
1
;
Hyun Young WOO
;
Soung Won JEONG
;
Chan Ran YOU
;
Si Hyun BAE
;
Jong Young CHOI
;
Seung Kew YOON
Author Information
1. Department of Internal Medicine, College of Medicine, The Catholic University of Korea, WHO Collaborating Center of Viral Hepatitis, Seoul, Korea. baesh@catholic.ac.kr
- Publication Type:Case Report ; English Abstract
- Keywords:
Pegylated interferon alfa-2a;
Lamivudine;
YMDD motif mutant;
Hepatitis B, Chronic
- MeSH:
Adult;
Alanine Transaminase/blood;
Antiviral Agents/*therapeutic use;
DNA, Viral/analysis;
Drug Resistance, Viral;
Hepatitis B, Chronic/diagnosis/*drug therapy;
Humans;
Interferon Alfa-2a/*therapeutic use;
Lamivudine/*therapeutic use;
Liver/pathology;
Male;
Polyethylene Glycols/*therapeutic use
- From:The Korean Journal of Hepatology
2008;14(4):513-518
- CountryRepublic of Korea
- Language:Korean
-
Abstract:
The wide use of lamivudine in chronic hepatitis B has produced a monotonic increase in patients with lamivudine resistance. Therefore, treating lamivudine resistance in chronic hepatitis B is a major concern in clinical practice for the treatment of hepatitis B virus (HBV). There is conflicting evidence on the outcome of pegylated interferon alpha (PEG-IFN alpha) therapy against lamivudine-resistant HBV, which is due to mutations in the YMDD motif. We experienced a patient with chronic hepatitis B who was successfully treated with PEG-IFN alpha-2a after the development of virologic and biochemical breakthrough during lamivudine therapy. Virologic breakthrough was associated with the emergence of YMDD mutants 48 months after starting lamivudine therapy. Treatment with PEG-IFN alpha-2a for 12 months resulted in an undetectable serum level of HBV DNA and the resolution of hepatitis, and the virologic response was maintained over 16 months after cessation of PEG-IFN alpha-2a.
