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Changes in serum levels of hepatitis B virus markers after interferon treatment

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Summary

The effect of interferon (IFN) treatment on serum levels of pre-S antigens [pre-S(1) antigen, pre-S(2) antigen, polymerized human serum albumin receptor (pAR)] which are coded by the pre-S region of hepatitis B virus DNA (HBV-DNA), and HBV-markers was analyzed in 23 patients with chronic hepatitis B. One year after IFN treatment, 4 patients (Group C) became HBeAg negative. Six patients (Group B) transiently became HBeAg-negative, but reverted to HBeAg positive. Thirteen patients (Group A) remained HBeAg positive. All of the patients remained HBsAg-positive. Initiation of IFN treatment was rapidly followed by reduction or loss of DNA-P in the serum whether the patients became HBeAg negative or remained positive, and whether serum transaminase (S-GPT) levels became normal or not after IFN treatment. Group C patients, in whom pre-S antigens decreased rapidly during IFN treatment and disappeared before S-GPT levels normalized, became HBeAg negative one year after IFN treatment. Anti-pAR was detected in three out of these 4 patients. In contrast, Group A and Group B patients, in whom pre-S antigens decreased slowly during IFN treatment and did not disappear in spite of those patients being transiently negative for HBeAg and DNA-P, remained HBeAg positive with elevated S-GPT levels one year after IFN treatment. Anti-pAR was almost undetectable. These results suggest that testing for pre-S antigens is more useful for determining the prognosis of patients with chronic hepatitis B treated with IFN than testing for HBsAg, HBeAg and DNA-P.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Internal Medicine, Kurashiki Central Hospital, 1-1-1 Miwa, 710, Kurashiki, Japan

    Hiroshi Ikeda M.D., Kazuharu Matsuura & Takao Tsuji

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  1. Hiroshi Ikeda M.D.
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  2. Kazuharu Matsuura
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  3. Takao Tsuji
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Ikeda, H., Matsuura, K. & Tsuji, T. Changes in serum levels of hepatitis B virus markers after interferon treatment. Gastroenterol Jpn 24, 646–654 (1989). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02774163

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02774163

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