Persistent Loss of Hepatitis B Virus Markers in Serum without Cellular Immunity by Combination of Peginterferon and Entecavir Therapy in Humanized Mice.

ABSTRACT: Nucleot(s)ide analogues and peginterferon (PEG-IFN) treatment are the only approved therapies for chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection. However, complete eradication of the virus, as indicated by persistent loss of hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg), is rare among treated patients. This is due to long-term persistence of the HBV genome in infected hepatocytes in the form of covalently closed circular DNA (cccDNA). In this study, we investigated whether administration of a large dose of a nucleoside analogue in combination with PEG-IFN can achieve long-term loss of HBsAg in human hepatocyte chimeric mice. Mice were treated with a high dose of entecavir and/or PEG-IFN for 6 weeks. High-dose combination therapy with both drugs resulted in persistently negative HBV DNA in serum. Although

SUBMITTER: Uchida T 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5571312 | biostudies-literature | 2017 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature