Effects of Tenofovir Disoproxil Fumarate in Hepatitis B e Antigen-Positive Patients With Normal Levels of Alanine Aminotransferase and High Levels of Hepatitis B Virus DNA

Background & Aims Little is known about the benefit of antiviral therapy for hepatitis B e antigen (HBeAg)−positive patients with high viral load and normal levels of alanine aminotransferase. We evaluated the effects of single and combination therapies in immune-tolerant patients with chronic hepatitis B. Methods In a double-blind study, nucleos(t)ide-naïve patients with high levels of hepatitis B virus (HBV) DNA who were positive for HBeAg and had normal levels of alanine aminotransferase were randomly assigned to groups given either oral tenofovir disoproxil fumarate (TDF, 300 mg) and placebo (n = 64) or a combination of TDF (300 mg) and emtricitabine (200 mg, n = 62) for 192 weeks. The primary end point was proportion of patients with serum levels of HBV DNA