Potential Efficacy of Pegylated Interferon-α and a Nucleos(t)ide Analogue as Combination Therapy for HBeAg-Positive Chronic Hepatitis B.
- Author:
Chung Il WI
1
;
W Ray KIM
;
John B GROSS
;
Linda M STADHEIM
;
John J POTERUCHA
Author Information
- Publication Type:Original Article
- Keywords: Combination antiviral therapy; HBeAg-positive chronic hepatitis B; HBe seroconversion; Pegylated interferon; Entecavir or tenofovir
- MeSH: Adolescent; Adult; Antiviral Agents; Clinical Protocols; Hepatitis B; Hepatitis B e Antigens; Hepatitis B virus; Hepatitis B, Chronic*; Hepatitis, Chronic*; Humans; Interferons; Seroconversion; Tenofovir
- From:Gut and Liver 2016;10(4):611-616
- CountryRepublic of Korea
- Language:English
- Abstract: BACKGROUND/AIMS: Despite the potent suppression of the hepatitis B virus with modern antiviral agents, only a minority of HBeAg-positive patients achieve hepatitis B e antigen seroconversion. We aimed to explore the potential efficacy of combination therapy consisting of pegylated interferon (p-IFN) and an oral antiviral agent in patients with HBeAg-positive chronic hepatitis B. METHODS: The treatment protocol consisted of p-IFN-α-2a at 180 μg/wk for 48 weeks, with either entecavir or tenofovir added 8 weeks after the initiation of p-IFN and continued for at least 6 months after HBe seroconversion was achieved. RESULTS: To date, 10 patients have been treated under the protocol (eight adults, mean age 36±8 years; two adolescents, aged 12 and 16 years). All eight adult patients experienced loss of HBeAg at a mean of 72.3±66.9 weeks, including six patients who also developed anti-HBe and one patient who had HBs seroconversion. Although both adolescents remain on therapy, one adolescent had HBs seroconversion without HBe seroconversion. A total of nine of our 10 patients experienced a favorable serological transition. CONCLUSIONS: The combination of p-IFN and a modern oral antiviral agent may be more effective than monotherapy with either class of agent in the treatment of HBeAg-positive chronic hepatitis B patients.
