The Optimizing Treatment of Peginterferon (PEG IFN) Alpha in Chronic Hepatitis B Virus Patients With Low Level HBsAg

Overview

HBeAg-negative chronic hepatitis B (CHB) patients with low Level HBsAg and with a history of drug resistance or suboptimal/partial virological response were enrolled. After giving informed consent, patients were treated with nucleoside analog(s) (NAs) once a day and weekly subcutaneous injections of alfa-2a 180 micrograms/week or peginterferon alfa-2b 80 micrograms/week for 12 weeks. 12 weeks later, NAs was stopped, patients were treated with weekly subcutaneous injections of alfa-2a 180 micrograms/week or peginterferon alfa-2b 80 micrograms/week. Treatment endpoint was HBsAg loss(\<0.05 IU/mL).

It is estimated that more than 400 million people are infected with hepatitis B virus (HBV) globally. HBeAg-negative CHB patients with low Level HBsAg and with a history of drug resistance or suboptimal/partial virological response were enrolled in the out-patient department of 3rd Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University. All of them were HBsAg positive and anti-HBs negative for more than 6 months with HBV DNA\<100 IU/mL and HBsAg levels \<1000 IU/mL. All patients did not have other liver diseases and contraindications for interferon therapy. After giving informed consent, patients were treated with NAs once a day and weekly subcutaneous injections of alfa-2a 180 micrograms/week or peginterferon alfa-2b 80 micrograms/week for 12 weeks. 12 weeks later, NAs was stopped, patients were treated with weekly subcutaneous injections of alfa-2a 180 micrograms/week or peginterferon alfa-2b 80 micrograms/week. The use of other immune suppressive or regulatory drugs and other antiviral drugs was prohibited during the course of the study. In this study, treatment endpoint was HBsAg loss(\<0.05 IU/mL).Anti-HBs positive(\>10 milli-International unit)(mIU/mL) defined as seroconversion. Depending on the decline of HBsAg level, treatment was either continued for a prolonged period (no more than 96 weeks) until the endpoint was achieved, or terminated in case of nonresponse.