Long-term follow-up of Japanese patients with chronic hepatitis B treated with interferon-α

  • Authors:
    • Bui Xuan Truong
    • Yasushi Seo
    • Miyuki Kato
    • Kenichi Hamano
    • Toshiaki Ninomiya
    • Megumi Katayama
    • Hirotaka Kato
    • Yoshihiko Yano
    • Yoshitake Hayashi
    • Masato Kasuga
  • View Affiliations

  • Published online on: August 1, 2005     https://doi.org/10.3892/ijmm.16.2.279
  • Pages: 279-284
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Abstract

The long-term usefulness of interferon-alpha (IFN-α) in chronic hepatitis B remains controversial. To investigate the long-term efficacy of IFN-α therapy in chronic hepatitis B, 62 Japanese patients, including 27 patients treated with IFN-α (IFN group) and 35 patients without antiviral therapy matched by age and sex as controls (control group), were followed up for 2-14 years. At entry, the serum alanine aminotransferase (ALT) level in the IFN group was significantly higher than that in the control group (238.6±250.1 vs. 142.3±152.1 IU/l, P<0.05). The prevalence of genotype C was 89%, with no difference between the two groups (93 vs. 86%). There was no significant difference in the presence of the precore mutation or the dual core promoter mutations between the IFN and control groups (37 vs. 46%, 74 vs. 66%). After long-term follow-up, the rate of sustained HBeAg seroconversion was comparable in the two groups (33 vs. 31%). Normalization of serum ALT level was seen in 44% of the IFN group and 51% of the control group, with no difference. There was also no difference in the percentage of cases with loss of serum HBV-DNA by PCR assay between the two groups (33 vs. 29%). During follow-up, two patients of the control group and three patients of the IFN group developed cirrhosis, and one of the IFN- treated patients progressed to hepatocellular carcinoma. The results of this long-term follow-up study showed that no benefit of IFN-α treatment was detectable during long-term follow-up in Japanese patients with chronic hepatitis B.

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August 2005
Volume 16 Issue 2

Print ISSN: 1107-3756
Online ISSN:1791-244X

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Spandidos Publications style
Truong B, Seo Y, Kato M, Hamano K, Ninomiya T, Katayama M, Kato H, Yano Y, Hayashi Y, Kasuga M, Kasuga M, et al: Long-term follow-up of Japanese patients with chronic hepatitis B treated with interferon-α. Int J Mol Med 16: 279-284, 2005
APA
Truong, B., Seo, Y., Kato, M., Hamano, K., Ninomiya, T., Katayama, M. ... Kasuga, M. (2005). Long-term follow-up of Japanese patients with chronic hepatitis B treated with interferon-α. International Journal of Molecular Medicine, 16, 279-284. https://doi.org/10.3892/ijmm.16.2.279
MLA
Truong, B., Seo, Y., Kato, M., Hamano, K., Ninomiya, T., Katayama, M., Kato, H., Yano, Y., Hayashi, Y., Kasuga, M."Long-term follow-up of Japanese patients with chronic hepatitis B treated with interferon-α". International Journal of Molecular Medicine 16.2 (2005): 279-284.
Chicago
Truong, B., Seo, Y., Kato, M., Hamano, K., Ninomiya, T., Katayama, M., Kato, H., Yano, Y., Hayashi, Y., Kasuga, M."Long-term follow-up of Japanese patients with chronic hepatitis B treated with interferon-α". International Journal of Molecular Medicine 16, no. 2 (2005): 279-284. https://doi.org/10.3892/ijmm.16.2.279