Objective: To study the therapeutic efficacy of 48-week telbivudine treatment on cirrhosis resulting from chronic hepatitis B.
Methods: 80 patients were equally divided into two groups, and treated with telbivudine 600 mg or lamivudine 100mg once daily for 48 weeks, respectively. The changes of virological and biochemical markers, PTA, Child-Pugh score, and viral resistance were observed at the different time points after antiviral treatment.
Results: The mean of serum HBV DNA level in telbivudine group before treatment was (6.52+/-1.33) log10 copies/ml, and the mean reduction of serum HBV DNA was (2.09+/-1.30), (2.83+/-1.22), (3.23+/-1.27), (3.42+/-1.32), (3.65+/-1.30), (3.67+/-1.43) log10 copies/ml at 2, 4, 8, 12, 24, 48 weeks, respectively. The proportion of patients with serum HBV DNA undetectable was 92.5% (37/40) at 24, 48 weeks. At week 24 and 48, the rates of HBeAg/anti-HBe seroconversion were 30.0% (6/20), 35.0% (7/20), respectively. ALT, AST, albumin, total bilirubin, PTA, and Child-Pugh score were improved (P less than 0.05). Mutation of YMDD observed in telbivudine group was 5.0%. The mean reduction of serum HBV-DNA and the proportion of patients with undetectable serum HBV-DNA were greater in telbivudine group than in lamivudine group (P less than 0.05).
Conclusions: Telbivudine can rapidly and effectively inhibit the replication of HBV in patients with cirrhosis resulting from chronic hepatitis B, and the resistance mutation rate was low. In addition, telbivudine treatment can improve the liver function.