No abstract

The role of antivirals in patients with acute viral hepatitis B (AVH-B) has not been evaluated in controlled trials. The aim of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of lamivudine in patients with AVH-B. AVH-B patients with serum bilirubin of more than 5 mg/dL were randomized to receive either 100 mg of lamivudine daily for 3 months (group 1, n ‫؍‬ 31) or placebo (group 2, n ‫؍‬ 40). Patients were considered to have severe AVH-B if they fulfilled 2 of 3 criteria: (1) hepatic encephalopathy; (2) serum bilirubin > 10.0 mg/dL; and (3) international normalized ratio (INR) > 1.6. At week 4, HBV DNA levels were significantly lower (P ‫؍‬ 0.037) in group 1 (median: 3.6721 log copies/mL) than group 2 (median: 4.2721 log copies/mL). Thereafter, HBV DNA levels were comparable in the 2 groups. The improvement in serum bilirubin, ALT, and INR values was similar in the 2 groups. Twenty-two patients (71%) in group 1 and 25 patients (62.5%) in group 2 had severe AVH-B. Results were similar when patients with severe AVH-B were analyzed separately. After 12 and 18 months, 93.5% and 92.5%, respectively, of patients in the lamivudine group and 96.7% and 97.5%, respectively, of patients in the placebo group lost HBsAg. There were no deaths in either group. After 1 year, 21 patients (67.7%) in group 1 and 34 patients (85%) in group 2 developed protective anti-HBs titers (P ‫؍‬ 0.096). All HBeAg-positive patients in both groups lost e antigen and anti-HBe developed in 71% and 87.5% of patients in groups 1 and 2, respectively (P ‫؍‬ 0.132). A cute viral hepatitis B (AVH-B) is successfully cleared in more than 95% of immunocompetent patients. The remainder of patients may develop either chronic HBV infection or, in a small proportion, fulminant hepatitis.The accepted criteria for defining clinical and serologic recovery from acute hepatitis B are clearance of circulating hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) and appearance of the antibodies to HBsAg (anti-HBs), with normalization of serum aminotransferases. Nevertheless, a recent longterm study noted that occult HBV infection might persist in the liver up to 10 years after clinical resolution. 1Lamivudine is a potent inhibitor of HBV replication that works by causing chain termination of an RNA-dependent HBV polymerase. 2 It has been administered successfully to immunocompromised patients with 4 Since a proportion of patients with AVH-B develop severe hepatitis and fulminant hepatic failure, a logical hypothesis is that rapid reduction in the HBV DNA levels through the use of antiviral agents could result in a less intense host response against the hepatitis B virus. However, the experience with lamivudine treatment of immunocompetent patients with AVH-B has been limited to only a few case reports, 5,6 a published abstract of a larger series 7 and a pilot study. 8 The aim of this study was to evaluate the efficacy, utility, and safety of lamivudine in treating immunocompetent patients with AVH-B.

SUMMARY BackgroundSmall-intestinal bacterial overgrowth (SIBO) is known to be present in patients with cirrhosis, predisposing to various complications.

Vertical transmission of Hepatitis B virus HBV can result in a state of chronic HBV infection and its complications. HBV vaccination with or without hepatitis B immunoglobulin (HBIG) prevents transmission of overt infection to the babies. However, whether it also prevents occult HBV infection in babies is not known. Consecutive pregnant women of any gestation found to be HBsAg positive were followed till delivery, and their babies were included in the study. Immediately after delivery, babies were randomized to receive either HBIG or placebo in addition to recombinant HBV vaccine (at 0, 6, 10 and 14 weeks). The primary end-point of the study, assessed at 18 weeks of age, was remaining free of any HBV infection (either overt or occult) plus the development of adequate immune response to vaccine. The babies were further followed up for a median of 2 years of age to determine their eventual outcome. Risk factors for HBV transmission and for poor immune response in babies were studied. Of the 283 eligible babies, 259 were included in the trial and randomized to receive either HBIG (n=128) or placebo (n=131) in addition to recombinant HBV vaccine. Of the 222 of 259 (86%) babies who completed 18 weeks of follow-up, only 62/222 (28%) reached primary end-point. Of the remaining, 6/222 (3%) developed overt HBV infection, 142/222 (64%) developed occult HBV infection, and 12/222 (5%) had no HBV infection but had poor immune response. All 6 overt infections occurred in the placebo group (P=0.030), while occult HBV infections were more common in the HBIG group (76/106 [72%] vs. 66/116 [57%]; P=0.025). This may be due to the immune pressure of HBIG. There was no significant difference between the two groups in frequency of babies developing poor immune response or those achieving primary end-point. The final outcome of these babies at 24 months of age was as follows: overt HBV infection 4%, occult HBV infection 42%, no HBV infection but poor immune response 8% and no HBV infection with good immune response 28%. Women who were anti-HBe positive were a low-risk group, and their babies were most likely to remain free of HBV infection (occult or overt) and had good immune response to the vaccine. Maternal HBeAg-positive status and negativity for anti-HBe predicted not only overt but also any infection (both overt and occult) in babies. In addition, high maternal HBV DNA and treatment with vaccine alone were significant factors for overt HBV infection in babies. The current practice of administration of vaccine with HBIG at birth to babies born of HBsAg-positive mothers is not effective in preventing occult HBV infection in babies, which may be up to 40%. Because the most important risk factors for mother-to-baby transmission of HBV infection are the replicative status and high HBV DNA level in mothers; it will be worthwhile investigating the role of antivirals and HBIG administration during pregnancy to prevent mother-to-child transmission of HBV infection.