OBJECTIVES: Treatment with pegylated interferon (PEG-IFN)  -2b results in hepatitis B e antigen (HBeAg)
loss in 36 % of patients at 6 months post treatment. The aim of this study was to determine
whether a long-term response to PEG-IFN is dependent on the timing of HBeAg loss.
METHODS: A total of 91 patients treated with PEG-IFN  -2b alone (100 μ g per week) and 81 patients
treated with PEG-IFN  -2b and lamivudine (100 mg / day) for 52 weeks were enrolled in this
study. Patients were initially followed up at 4-week intervals and had one additional long-term
follow-up (LTFU) visit (mean: 3.03 ± 0.77 years 26 weeks post treatment).
RESULTS: Of the 172 patients included, 78 patients (46 % ) did not have loss of HBeAg, 47 (27 % ) lost HBeAg
within 32 weeks, and 47 patients (27 % ) had loss of HBeAg after week 32. At LTFU, patients with
HBeAg loss ≤ 32 weeks had hepatitis B virus DNA of < 400 copies / ml signifi cantly more often than
did those who lost HBeAg after week 32 (47 vs. 21 % , respectively; P = 0.009). Hepatitis B surface
antigen (HBsAg) negativity was also observed signifi cantly more often in patients with early HBeAg
loss (36 vs. 4 % , respectively, P < 0.001). Early HBeAg loss tended to occur more often in patients
treated with PEG-IFN and lamivudine combination therapy than in those treated with PEG-IFN
alone (35 vs. 21 % ; P = 0.10), as did HBsAg loss (15 vs. 8 % ; P = 0.14).
CONCLUSIONS: Early PEG-IFN-induced HBeAg loss results in a high likelihood of HBsAg loss and may be
associated with more profound viral suppression during the fi rst 32 weeks of therapy in patients
treated with lamivudine combinations.

• 附件：3 Early HBeAg Loss During Peginterferon α -2b Therapy.pdf