OBJECTIVES: Improvement of liver synthetic function and the incidence of complication in the patients with hepatitis B-related liver cirrhosis is important. In this study, we study whether antiviral therapy was effective in patients with hepatitis B-related liver cirrhosis. METHODS: 103 patients with hepatitis B-related liver cirrhosis treated with lamivudine 100mg daily over 6 months and followed up over 30 months. 71 patients were positive for serum HBeAg. HBeAg, HBV DNA , CBC, prothrombin time, biochemistry, ultrasonography and endoscopy were tested every 6 months. RESULTS: The medians of ALT, albumin improved after 6 months and then aggravated after 18 months, but they didn't aggravated at 30 months compared with initial test. The median of Child-turcotte-pugh (CTP) score imporved after 6 months and then aggravated after 12 months, but they didn't aggravated at 30 months compared with initial test. The CTP score improved (2 point reduction) in 29 patients. The finding of ultrasonography didn't aggravaed (improved or didn't changed) in 58 patients. The 5 year incidence rate of hepatocelluar carcinoma was 8.3%. CONCLUSIONS: The antiviral therapy in patients with hepatitis B-related liver cirrhosis is improved CTP score and biochmical data. The improvement is more useful in decompensated cirrhosis the compensated cirrhosis. The incidence of hepatocellular carcinoma decreases than other studies. Therefore, the antiviral medication in patients with hepatitis B-related liver cirrhosis is helpful to consider more aggressively.
Antiviral Agents ; Biochemistry ; Carcinoma, Hepatocellular ; Cytidine Triphosphate ; DNA ; Endoscopy ; Fibrosis ; Hepatitis ; Hepatitis B e Antigens ; Hepatitis B, Chronic ; Humans ; Incidence ; Lamivudine ; Liver ; Liver Cirrhosis ; Prothrombin Time