OBJECTIVETo evaluate the efficacy and safety of telbivudine (LDT) versus entecavir treatments in hepatitis B e antigen (HBeAg)-positive chronic hepatitis B (CHB) patients.

METHODSEighty HBeAg-positive compensated CHB patients with HBV DNA more than 6 log10 copies/ml and serum ALT 2 x ULN were divided into two groups: a telbivudine treatment group, and a entecavir treatment group. HBV DNA, ALT and HBeAg were surveyed at baseline and at 12 and 24 weeks. The efficacy and safety of the two nucleoside analogues were assessed at 12 and 24 weeks.

RESULTSUndetectable serum HBV DNA levels of the telbivudine group (50% and 80%) were similar to those of the entecavir B group (50% and 70%) according to the polymerase-chain-reaction assay at week 12 and 24. There were no significant differences in the normalization of alanine aminotransferase levels between the two groups at week 12 and 24 (52.5% vs 60.0%, 77.5% vs 75.0%). The mean reductions in serum HBV DNA from the baseline levels at week 12 and 24 were similar between the two groups [5.27 vs.5.36, 6.49 vs.6.18 log (on a base-10 scale) copies per milliliter]. More patients in the telbivudine group had HBeAg seroconversion at week 12 than those in the entecavir group (20.0% vs 5.0%, P = 0.043); however, there was no significant difference between the two groups at week 24 (27.5% vs 17.5%). No adverse reactions were found in either group.

CONCLUSIONThere was no significant difference in HBV DNA undetectable rates and the ALT normalization rates between the two groups in a short-term therapy (24 weeks), but the telbivudine group had a higher rate in HBeAg seroconversion than that in the entecavir group at week 12.