Antiviral treatment for chronic hepatitis B in renal transplant patients

Table 2 Definition of response to nucleos(t)ide analogue antiviral therapy of chronic hepatitis B

Category of response
Biochemical (BR)	Decrease in serum ALT to within the normal range
Virologic (VR)	Decrease in serum HBV DNA to undetectable
	levels by PCR assays, and loss of HBeAg in
	patients who were initially HBeAg positive
Primary non-response	Decrease in serum HBV DNA by 2 log10 IU/mL
	after at least 24 wk of therapy
Virologic relapse	Increase in serum HBV DNA of 1 log10 IU/mL
	after discontinuation of treatment in at least
	two determinations more than 4 wk apart
Histologic (HR)	Decrease in histology activity index by at least 2
	points and no worsening of fibrosis score
	compared to pre-treatment liver biopsy
Complete (CR)	Fulfill criteria of biochemical and virological
	response and loss of HBsAg
Time of assessment
On-therapy	During therapy
Maintained	Persist throughout the course of treatment
End-of-treatment	At the end of a defined course of therapy
Off-therapy	After discontinuation of therapy
Sustained (SR-6)	6 mo after discontinuation of therapy
Sustained (SR-12)	12 mo after discontinuation of therapy

HBV: Hepatitis B; HBsAg: Hepatitis B surface antigen.