Efficacy of telbivudine in HBeAg-positive chronic hepatitis B patients with high baseline ALT levels

Table 1 Patient baseline characteristics

Variables	High baseline ALT group	Controls
Patients (n)	40	40
Male, n (%)	29 (72.5)	28 (70)
Age (yr, mean ± SD)	28.12 ± 3.71	31.12 ± 5.43
ALT (IU/L)	885.6 ± 7.89	128.4 ± 5.33
TBiL (μmol/L)	45.43 ± 6.67	29.12 ± 2.56
HBV DNA (copies/mL)
Median	7.78 × 108	7.56 × 108
Range	4.67 × 105-8.58 × 109	5.89 × 105-7.34 × 109

ALT: Alanine aminotransferase; TBiL: Total bilirubin; HBV: Hepatitis B virus.

Table 2 Efficacy and safety at week 52 n (%)

Variables	High baseline ALT group	Controls	P value
Decrease in HBV DNA level (log10 copies/mL)	7.03	6.17	< 0.05
HBV DNA negative rate	29/40 (72.5)	24/40 (60)	< 0.05
ALT normalization rate	30/40 (75.0)	31/40 (77.5)	> 0.05
HBeAg negative rate	18/40 (45.0)	11/40 (27.5)	< 0.05
HBeAg seroconversion rate	15/40 (37.5)	9/40 (22.5)	< 0.05
HBsAg negative rate	4/40 (10.0)	1/40 (2.5)	< 0.05
HBsAg seroconversion rate	3/40 (7.5)	0	< 0.05
Viral breakthrough	2/40 (5.7)	3/40 (7.5)	> 0.05
Viral resistance	1/40 (2.9)	2/40 (5)	> 0.05
Increased blood creatine kinase	5/40 (12.5)	4/40 (10)	> 0.05

ALT: Alanine aminotransferase; HBV: Hepatitis B virus; HBeAg: Hepatitis B e antigen; HBsAg: Hepatitis B surface antigen.