There are about 350 million hepatitis B virus (HBV) carriers worldwide and chronic
HBV is considered a major public health problem. The objective of the present study
was to assess the effectiveness of the nucleos(t)ide analogues tenofovir (TDF) and
entecavir (ETV) in the treatment of chronic HBV. A cross-sectional study was carried
out from March-December 2013, including all patients with chronic HBV, over 18 years
of age, undergoing therapy through the public health system in southern Brazil. Only
the data relating to the first treatments performed with TDF or ETV were considered.
Retreatment, co-infection, transplanted or immunosuppressed patients were excluded.
Six hundred and forty patients were evaluated, of which 336 (52.5%) received TDF and
165 (25.8%) ETV. The other 139 (21.7%) used various combinations of nucleos(t)ide
analogues and were excluded. The negativation of viral load was observed in 87.3% and
78.8% and the negativation of hepatitis B e antigen was achieved in 79% and 72% of
those treated with ETV or TDF, respectively. Negativation of hepatitis B surface
antigen was not observed. There was no occurrence of adverse effects. This is a
real-life study demonstrating that long-term treatment with ETV and TDF is both safe
and effective.
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