BACKGROUND: Lamivudine was approved for the treat- ment of chronic hepatitis B in China in 1999; however the long-term result has not yet been reported in detail. This clinical trial was to evaluate the long-term efficacy and safe- ty of 3-year lamivudine treatment for chronic hepatitis B and the impact of emergence of YMDD mutation of hepa- titis B virus (HBV). METHODS: This multi-center, randomized, double-blind, placebo controlled trial began from 1996 to 1999. A total of 429 patients with serum HBsAg, HBeAg and HBV DNA positive were randomized to receive either lamivudine 100 mg daily (322 patients) or placebo (107) for the first 12 weeks. All patients were given subsequently open labelled lamivudine 100 mg/d for a total of 156 weeks. RESULTS: After 12-week lamivudine therapy, the levels of serum HBV DNA decreased rapidly. The negativity of HBV DNA (2 × upper limit of normal (ULN) and ALT >5×ULN, the rates of HBeAg loss were 42.2% and 66.7%, and the rates of seroconversion were34.4% and 61.1% respectively (P5×ULN) occurred in 17 patients: 10 were YMDD mutants and 7 were non-mutants; all of them were relieved. No death occurred in the period of 3 years. CONCLUSION: Sustained inhibition of HBV replication and clinical improvement could be obtained after 3-year lamivudine therapy of good tolerance and safety.
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