Short-term intravenous interferon therapy for chronic hepatitis B

Table 1 Clinical characteristics at the beginning of the treatment

Characteristics	Baseline
Age (yr)	31.8 ± 7.01
Sex (male/female)	19/7
ALT (U/L)	246.9 ± 154.21
HBV DNA (≥ 10/< 10 Meq/mL)	16/10
HBV DNA polymerase (cpm)	750.5 (10-10 710)2
PLT (× 104/mm3)	19.3 ± 10.71

¹mean ± SD;

²Median (range).

Table 2 Response rate in patients with HBeAg positive chronic hepatitis B by interferon-β treatment (%)

	wk 1	wk 2	End of the treatment	6 mo after treatment
HBV-DNA negative	5/26 (19.2)	5/26 (19.2)	10/26 (38.5)	13/26 (50.0)
HBeAg and HBV-DNA negative			4/26 (15.4)	9/26 (34.6)

Table 3 Comparison of response rates in patients with HBeAg positive chronic hepatitis B at 6 mo after the treatment (%)

	INF-β(iv) 4 wk	INF-α(sc or im) 12-24 wk	Lamivudine 1 yr	Adefovir dipivoxil 48 wk	Pegylated interferon-α48 wk
Loss of serum HBV DNA	50	37	44	21	32
Loss of HBeAg	35	33	17-32	24	34
HbeAg seroconversion	31	Difference of 18	16-18	12	32
Loss of HBsAg		8	< 1	0	3
Normalization of ALT	42	Difference of 23	41-72	48	41
Histological improvement			49-56	53	38
Durability of the response		80-90	50-80		82