Sequential combination therapy with pegylated interferon leads to loss of hepatitis B surface antigen and hepatitis B e antigen (HBeAg) seroconversion in HBeAg-positive chronic hepatitis B patients receiving long-term entecavir treatment.

ABSTRACT: Nucleos(t)ide analogues rarely result in a durable off-treatment response in chronic hepatitis B infection, whereas pegylated interferon (Peg-IFN) induces a long-lasting response only in a subset of patients. We assessed the effect of sequential combination therapy with Peg-IFN-α2a and entecavir in hepatitis B e antigen (HBeAg)-positive patients with prior long-term entecavir therapy and investigated the predictors of response to treatment. HBeAg-positive individuals who did not achieve HBeAg seroconversion during previous long-term entecavir therapy, receiving Peg-IFN-α2a added to ongoing entecavir therapy (sequential combination [S-C] therapy; n = 81) for 48 weeks or remaining on entecavir monotherapy (n = 116), were retrospectively included. A matched pair was created at a 1:1 ratio fro

SUBMITTER: Li GJ 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4468690 | biostudies-literature | 2015 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature