The combination therapy of Peginterferonα and entecavir for HBeAg-positive chronic hepatitis B with high HCC risk

Abstract

The population of HBV infection with family history of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the high risk group for the development of HCC. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of the de novo combination therapy including pegylated-interferon α-2a (PEG-IFNα-2a) and entecavir (ETV) in this high risk population. The study recruited 58 Hepatitis B e Antigen (HBeAg)-Positive CHB patients patients with HBV-DNA > 10⁷ IU/mL, genotype B or C and HCC family history and were treated for 48 weeks. Patients without HBeAg loss at the 48th week were 40 patients and extended the combination therapy to 96 weeks. All patients were followed up to 120 weeks. The rate of HBeAg loss and HBsAg loss was 12/40(30.0%) and 2/40(5.0%) at week 120 respectively. When logistic regression analysis was used to identify viables of HBeAg loss, HBV-DNA levels <20 IU/mL at week 48 was found to have a 6.02 fold increased probability (95% CI = 1.17-30.40, P = .03) of HBeAg loss. Patients with HBV-DNA levels <20 IU/mL at week 48 had a high probability of HBeAg loss 8/17(47.1%), HBsAg loss 2/17(11.8%), compared to 4/23(17.4%), 0/23(0%) in patients with HBV-DNA ≥ 20 IU/mL. Combination therapy for 96 weeks was well tolerated. During the combination therapy, low-level viremia during treatment is reversely associated with response. The combination therapy of PEG-IFNα and ETV was suggested to extend to 96 weeks when HBV-DNA was completed suppressed at week 48.

Keywords: Antiviral therapy; Extension therapy; HBeAg seroconversion; Hepatitis B; Virologic response.