Comparison of sequence changes of precore and core promoter regions in HBeAg-positive chronic hepatitis B patients with and without HBeAg clearance in lamivudine therapy

Extended lamivudine consolidation therapy in hepatitis B e antigen-positive chronic hepatitis B patients improves sustained hepatitis B e antigen seroconversion

“…Although previous studies reported that high HBV DNA and low ALT before treatment were independent predictive factors of post-LAM HBeAg relapse [11,13,32], the study of Chien et al [16] and our previous [33] and present studies revealed that pretreatment ALT and HBV DNA level were associated with treatment response but not with relapse. The difference might be due to variations in genotype, study design and the durations of treatment and/or consolidation therapy.…”

Hepatitis B virus genotype B results in better immediate, late and sustained responses to peginterferon‐alfa in hepatitis‐B‐e‐antigen‐positive patients

“…The evolution of A1896 and T1762/A1764 mutations during and post peginterferon therapy was different from our previous study using lamivudine therapy. 36 In our study, A1896 mutation was not an independent factor for HBeAg clearance. As A1896 mutation can abolish HBeAg synthesis, the role of A1896 may be overlapped with low HBeAg S/Co levels.…”

Adding interferon to lamivudine enhances the early virologic response and reversion of the precore mutation in difficult-to-treat HBV infection

“…Lamivudine therapy has been shown to cause reversion of the G1896A precore mutation. [13][14][15][16] The present study revealed that this phenomenon was more prominent when IFN was coadministered. Of note, it was further shown that reversion of the precore mutation was related to early HBV DNA clearance at week 24.…”

“…18,19 However, we must stress that the impact of lamivudine therapy on CP mutations is highly controversial, and it appears to be affected by other factors, including the genotype. [13][14][15][16] Finally, new, potent antiviral nucleoside analogs may herald a new phase of antiviral therapy. However, there remains a subgroup of patients who show exceptionally high levels of HBV replication and are thus unlikely to achieve an early virologic response.…”