Changes in markers of hepatitis B viral replication and standard liver function tests were studied in 30 patients with HBsAg positive chronic liver disease starting or stopping prednisolone/azathioprine therapy, and compared with those occurring in 15 patients who did not receive therapy. On stopping prednisolone/azathioprine, 10 out of 11 HBeAg positive patients and one out of three patients n...

Background/Aims We aimed to clarify the association of hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg)/hepatitis B core antigen (HBcAg) with the disease status and treatment response in patients with chronic hepatitis B (CHB). Methods We investigated 171 biopsy-proven entecavir-treated CHB patients (109 hepatitis B e antigen [HBeAg]-positive, 62 HBeAg-negative). HBcAg expression was positive when ≥10% of...

Effective antiviral therapy plays a key role in slowing the progression of chronic hepatitis B (CHB). Identification of serum indices, including hepatitis B e antigen (HBeAg) expression and seroconversion, will facilitate evaluation of the efficacy of antiviral therapy in HBeAg-positive CHB patients. The biochemical, serological, virological parameters, and the frequency of circulating CD4CD25 ...

BACKGROUND The aim of this study was to characterize the expression and secretion of hepatitis B surface-antigen (HBsAg) in the hepatocytes of hepatitis B virus (HBV)-infected patients at different phases of infection; as such, the association of intrahepatic HBsAg expression with virological markers and the histological characteristics were analyzed. MATERIAL AND METHODS 302 chronic HBV infect...

BACKGROUND The aim of this study was to compare the effect of combination lamivudine (LAM) and adefovir dipivoxil (ADV) versus entecavir (ETV) monotherapy for naïve HBeAg-positive chronic hepatitis B (CHB) patients. MATERIAL/METHODS Fifty enrolled patients with CHB were evenly divided into 2 groups: a group treated with of lamivudine (LAM) (100 mg/day) plus adefovir (ADV) (10 mg/day) combinat...

Recently, the role of vitamin D in chronic hepatitis B (CHB) has attracted a lot attention. In this study, 128 naïve CHB patients (91 with positive HBeAg, 37 with negative-HBeAg) were enrolled, and 128 volunteers without liver diseases were enrolled as controls. Compared to that of healthy controls, the mean level of 25(OH)D3 in CHB patients was significantly lower; and the percent of patients ...

Objective. To determine the efficacy and safety of Lingmao Formula combined with entecavir for HBeAg-positive chronic hepatitis B patients with mildly elevated alanine aminotransferase (ALT). Methods. 301 patients were randomly assigned to receive Lingmao Formula combined with entecavir (treatment group) or placebo combined with entecavir (control group) for 52 weeks. The outcomes of interest i...

The hepatitis B core antigen (HBcAg) is an important target for antiviral response in chronic hepatitis B (CHB) patients. However, the correlation between HBcAg in the hepatocyte nucleus and nucleos(t)ide analogue (NA) therapeutic response is unclear. We sought to evaluate the role of HBcAg by analysing liver biopsies for viral response in NA-naïve hepatitis B e antigen (HBeAg) positive (+) CHB...

The hepatitis B virus (HBV) has a complex natural history and causes a wide spectrum of disease. Choices of therapy depend on a number of factors predictive of treatment response, clinical circumstances and stage of disease, and the likelihood and consequences of resistance to treatment. Telbivudine (beta-L-2'deoxythymidine) is a thymidine analogue that belongs to a new class of beta-L-configur...