Brief Articles
Copyright ©2009 The WJG Press and Baishideng. All rights reserved.
World J Gastroenterol. Sep 14, 2009; 15(34): 4311-4315
Published online Sep 14, 2009. doi: 10.3748/wjg.15.4311
Baseline predictors of virological response for chronic hepatitis B patients
Xue-Jie Wu, Yan Wang, Ji Chen, Gui-Qiang Wang
Xue-Jie Wu, Yan Wang, Ji Chen, Gui-Qiang Wang, Department of Infectious Diseases, Peking University First Hospital, Beijing 100034, China
Author contributions: Wu XJ and Wang Y contributed equally to this work; Wang GQ, Wu XJ and Wang Y designed the research; Wu XJ, Wang Y and Chen J performed the research; Wu XJ and Wang Y analyzed the data; Wu XJ and Wang Y wrote the paper.
Supported by “973” Program No. 2007CB512800; National Natural Science Foundation of China, No. 30771905; Mega-projects of Science Research, No. 008ZX10002-008; Beijing Municipal Science & Technology Commission, No. D08050700650803
Correspondence to: Gui-Qiang Wang, Director, Professor, Department of Infectious Diseases, Center for Liver Diseases, Peking University First Hospital, No. 8, Xishiku Street, Xicheng District, Beijing 100034, China. john131212@yahoo.com.cn
Telephone: +86-10-83572362 Fax: +86-10-66551680
Received: July 7, 2009
Revised: July 29, 2009
Accepted: August 5, 2009
Published online: September 14, 2009
Abstract

AIM: To determine which baseline factors of chronic hepatitis B patients are predictive of virological response to Peginterferon α-2b therapy.

METHODS: A total of 21 HBeAg-positive chronic hepatitis B (CHB) patients treated with Peginterferon α-2b were recruited. They were treated with Peginterferon α-2b (0.5-1.0 μg/kg per week) for 24 wk and followed up for 24 wk. Clinical and laboratory data of the patients were determined at pretreatment and at week 12, at 24 during treatment, and at week 48 during follow up.

RESULTS: Ten patients achieved a virological response at the end of treatment. Their baseline serum alanine aminotransferase (ALT), thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH), and total thyroxin (TT4) levels were significantly different from those who failed treatment. The positive predictive values (PPV) and negative predictive values (NPV) of ALT, TSH, and TT4 were 75% and 89 %, 75% and 89 %, and 75% and 75%, respectively. Moreover, combinations of the baseline ALT and TT4, ALT and TSH, TT4 and TSH levels had much higher PPV and NPV (86% and 88%, 89% and 100%, 83% and 100%, respectively).

CONCLUSION: Baseline serum ALT, TSH, and TT4 levels, especially in combination, have high predictive values of virological response to Peginterferon α-2b in HBeAg-positive CHB patients.

Keywords: Chronic hepatitis B; Hepatitis B virus; Predictors; Virological response; Peginterferon