Peginterferon and Lamivudine for Hepatitis B/DR. MARCELLIN REPLIES

TO THE EDITOR: Marcellin and colleagues (Sept. 16 issue)1 report that patients with hepatitis B e antigen (HBeAg)-negative chronic hepatitis B had higher rates of a sustained response to treatment with peginterferon alfa-2a than with lamivudine.1 HBeAg-negative chronic hepatitis B is usually associated with precore mutations,2 but it may also develop in patients infected with wild-type strains, with mutations in the basic core promoter.3 Whether these two groups of patients with HBeAg-negative chronic hepatitis...