Baseline HBV DNA level is the most important factor associated with virologic breakthrough in chronic hepatitis B treated with lamivudine

Table 2 Response to lamivudine before breakthrough (mean ± SD)

	HBeAg-positive hepatitis (n = 34)			HbeAg-negative hepatitis (n = 45)
	All patients(n = 34)	BT(n = 14)	No BT(n = 20)	All patients(n = 45)	BT(n = 10)	No BT(n = 35)
Max suppression (log10 copies/mL)	4.7 ± 1.4	4.8 ± 1.7	4.6 ± 1.2	4.3 ± 1.6	4.3 ± 1.7	4.3 ± 1.6
Initial suppression (log10 copies/mL)	4.2 ± 1.7	4.2 ± 2.0	4.3 ± 1.5	3.3 ± 2.1	2.8 ± 2.5	3.4 ± 1.9
Patients with IVR (%)	80	75	83	81	67	85
Patients at 6 mo biochemical response (%)	90	82	94	84	86	83
Patients at 12 mo biochemical response (%)	96	100	93	82	80	82
Time to first detection of BT	-	26 ± 10	-	-	32 ± 12	-

BT: Breakthrough; Max suppression: Maximal virologic suppression; Initial suppression: Initial virologic suppression; IVR: Initial virologic response at 6 mo; Biochemical response: ALT normalization.