Failure of Phyllanthus amarus to Eradicate Hepatitis B Surface Antigen from Asymptomatic Chronic Hepatitis B Virus Carriers: One-Year Follow-up Study

We designed a randomized controlled trial to study the effectiveness ofPhyllanthus amarus in the eradication of the chronic carriage of hepatitis B virus (HBV). One hundred and sixteen asymptomatic carriers who were positive for hepatjtis B surface antigen (HBsAg) on two occasions at least six months apart were admitted to the study. They were randomly allocated to receive P. amarus (1,200 mg/day) or placebo orally for 30 days. Both drug and placebo were contained in identical capsules which were taken three times daily. Blood for hematological, biochemical, HBsAg and HBeAg determination was taken at regular intervals. At days 15, 30 and 60, HBsAg was detectable in every case of both groups. At days 180 and 360 it was still detectable in 48 of 49 and 41 of 42; and in 39 of 40 and 36 of 37 patients given P. amarus or placebo respectively. HBeAg level was significantly decreased at day 30 in only P. amarus group (p < 0.01) but not at day 60. Most subjects of both groups felt that their clinical status had not changed. No toxic effect was observed or detected. We conclude that P. amarus available in Thailand may not be as effective as it has been reported in the eradication of the chronic carrier state ofHBV. "" , L1€J.JlJEJ allu1vmmlmtJ1liaumtlfhll~iIl1::m'niluft1't'1::iffl~~'IJfl~ 11~a~'lJt)ntatJ UluNtJ1'illfllaMVl . " " ..et U'.c::I r! r!.4 r!.c:.. fl1l1 aa11flll ft.tJ. *, '1111011 Vl1::fJaall'!J101 1'f1.11.*, ftltl11 l't'lllflU1~'Yt1!lVl 1'f1.11.**, QJ r! _I ** ..et .c:.. *** *** OJ.c::I r! a *** Iflllfl11allU::ftUIi 1J1.~. , ft1101 ftl~'If 1'f1.11. , tJ'YtJlll1Vl1::na 1'f1.11. , 'fIflUU laUU1fl ft.tJ. , . . " OJ .c:..~ QJ r! .c::I QJ ~ 1llJlU1 (J'fIlillVl 1'f1.tJ.**, 'fIflUmU llU'fIUU~U~ ft.tJ. t A A..l' A fS' <IS f"or::::u::t. t *Wl"1l11"lf1 "fl~~L"lfeJ 1l1m"lf1m~"~1~~" tLL~,"n1i,"1mdLG'leJ~ flnl.::LL"'fY111~1~~"~dd1"lfWlI11J1G'l A Cl.o' f" A Cl.o' oI':llA Cl.o' _ f" .ell _ A **1l1m"lf1Lll~"lfWt]m~1~~" LLG'l::1l1m"lf1Lll~1Wil\l,1I flnl.::Lll~"lf~1~~" :IJ'V\11'Yl1l1G'l1l:IJ'V\~G'l, ** *flnl.::L'YlfliiflmdLLW'Yl6 :IJ'V\11'Yl1l1ill:IJ~~G'l m"L'YlW"l • J ... "" T 2534; 8:1-6. ?11lf711F1!i1!i1L'lf€JLm~lJ1r;n'Uv"'lfW flOl::"11lU1~fin'Y1U1::a'fli"a'IJfl~allU1ft1anlVlitJ(Phyllanthus amarus) lum1fhll~ " . " QJQJQJ ~I XU 1 .c::Il "' ... l<Cl..c::I cf..e:t .d iIl1::m111JUft1't'1::11fl1~'IJfl-3 1~aVltJflntatJ tJ U"tJ1'illfl a't'lVlua::lla'IJiIlftU'IJ-3U~-3~ 116 11£1 CJI-3 " . "H"amnlUm1'f1~afltJ't'I1 HBsAg 'U:U~llflUn"flU 2 flf-3 ";l~nu 6 l~flU ft1't'1::m,hm~1tJm1 alll'111~~tJallu1ft~anlmtJ 't'I;mi'lVlla';-3tJ'j11lflU1uutl'uCJlamijflunu allu1ft1anlmtJ1~~tJm1 CIi CIi 'U q 'II 'II q 'II *Departments ofMedicine and tTransfusion Medicine, Faculty ofMedicine Siriraj Hospital, **Department ofPharmacognosy, Faculty of Pharmacy and ***Faculty ofMedical Technology, Mahidol University, Thailand. .., 2 "'.PI. -"'.PI. 2534