Lowering Viral Load With Nucleos(T)Ide Analogues Prior to Peginterferon Treatment to Ncrease Sustained Response in CHB

Inclusion Criteria: * Chronic hepatitis B (HBsAg positive \> 6 months) * HBeAg positive, anti-HBe negative within 4 weeks prior to initiation of peginterferon alfa-2b * HBV DNA \< 2000 IU/ml within one month prior to initiation of peginterferon alfa-2b after a minimum of 12 months treatment with either Entecavir (one of all 3 brands) or Tenofovir * ALT \< 5x ULN * Compensated liver disease * Age ≥ 18 years and ≤ 70 years * Written informed consent Exclusion Criteria: * Treatment with any investigational drug within 30 days of entry to this protocol * Treatment with Telbivudine * Severe hepatitis activity as documented by ALT \> 5 x ULN * History of decompensated cirrhosis (defined as jaundice in the presence of cirrhosis, ascites, bleeding gastric or esophageal varices or encephalopathy) * Pre-existent neutropenia (neutrophils \< 1,500/mm3) or thrombocytopenia (platelets \< 90,000/mm3) * Co-infection with hepatitis C virus or human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) * Other acquired or inherited causes of liver disease: alcoholic liver disease, obesity induced liver disease, drug related liver disease, auto-immune hepatitis, hemochromatosis, Wilson's disease or alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency * Alpha fetoprotein \> 50 ng/ml * Hyper- or hypothyroidism (subjects requiring medication to maintain TSH levels in the normal range are eligible if all other inclusion/exclusion criteria are met) * Immune suppressive treatment within the previous 6 months * Contra-indications for alfa-interferon therapy like suspected hypersensitivity to interferon or Peginterferon or any known pre-existing medical condition that could interfere with the patient's participation in and completion of the study. * Pregnancy, breast-feeding * Other significant medical illness that might interfere with this study: significant pulmonary dysfunction in the previous 6 months, malignancy other than skin basocellular carcinoma in previous 5 years, immunodeficiency syndromes (e.g. HIV positivity, auto-immune diseases, organ transplants other than cornea and hair transplant) * Any medical condition requiring, or likely to require chronic systemic administration of steroids, during the course of the study * Substance abuse, such as alcohol (\> 80 g/day), I.V. drugs and inhaled drugs in the past 2 years. * Any other condition which in the opinion of the investigator would make the patient unsuitable for enrollment, or could interfere with the patient participating in and completing the study