Efficacy of Initial Treatment with Clevudine in Naive Patients with Chronic Hepatitis B.
10.3904/kjim.2010.25.4.372
- Author:
Hyeon Woong YANG
1
;
Byung Seok LEE
;
Tae Hee LEE
;
Heon Young LEE
;
Kwan Woo NAM
;
Young Woo KANG
;
Hee Bok CHAE
;
Seok Hyun KIM
;
Seok Bae KIM
;
Hyang Ie LEE
;
An Na KIM
;
Il Han SONG
;
Sae Hwan LEE
;
Hong Su KIM
Author Information
1. Department of Internal Medicine, Eulji University School of Medicine, Daejeon, Korea.
- Publication Type:Original Article
- Keywords:
Clevudine;
Drug resistance;
HBV seroconversion;
Hepatitis B, chronic
- MeSH:
Adult;
Alanine Transaminase/blood;
Antiviral Agents/*therapeutic use;
Arabinofuranosyluracil/*analogs & derivatives/therapeutic use;
Female;
Hepatitis B e Antigens/blood;
Hepatitis B, Chronic/drug therapy/virology;
Humans;
Male;
Middle Aged;
Retrospective Studies
- From:The Korean Journal of Internal Medicine
2010;25(4):372-376
- CountryRepublic of Korea
- Language:English
-
Abstract:
BACKGROUND/AIMS: Clevudine, a pyrimidine nucleoside analogue, has potent antiviral effects in patients with chronic viral hepatitis B (CHB). We report the efficacy of initial treatment with clevudine in naive patients with CHB living in Daejeon and Chungcheong Province, South Korea. METHODS: One hundred five adults with CHB were administered 30 mg of clevudine per day for an average of 51 weeks. We evaluated viral markers and liver biochemistry retrospectively every 3 months. RESULTS: Alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), and hepatitis B virus (HBV) DNA before the treatment were 184 +/- 188 IU/L, 150 +/- 138 IU/L, and 7.1 +/- 1.2 log copies/mL, respectively. Undetectable rates (< 60 IU/mL) of DNA were 36.2%, 68.9%, 83.6%, 76.2%, and 75.8% at 12, 24, 36, 48, and 60 weeks, respectively. Seroconversion rates were 9.1%, 13.6%, 24.6%, 26.5%, and 26.1% and ALT normalization rates were 64.5%, 78.1%, 87.9%, 90.0% at 12, 24, 36, and 48 weeks, respectively. Six patients (5.7%) had a viral breakthrough. CONCLUSIONS: Clevudine is a useful drug in the initial treatment of patients with CHB, with a potent antiviral effect and low incidence of viral breakthrough.
