Treatment with interferon of chronic hepatitis B associated with antibody to hepatitis B e antigen

Persistence of HBV replication (serum HBV-DNA and intrahepatic HBcAg) and markers of HBV-induced (IgM anti-HBc positive) liver disease in anti-HBe-positive patients characterize a peculiar form of chronic hepatitis B. This form of hepatitis B prevails in the Mediterranean Basin, Middle and Far East and is associated with the infection of an HBV variant that lacks the capacity to produce HBeAg. We analysed the results of interferon treatment of 90 patients with chronic anti-HBe-positive hepatitis included in four randomized controlled trials. Interferon inhibited viral replication to undetectable levels and ALT normalized in about 70% of patients. However, the effect was transient in the majority of cases and hepatitis B relapsed in 41 to 90% of patients. A discrepancy in the rate of relapses could be explained by a significant difference in patients populations with a higher prevalence of cirrhotic patients in studies with poorer response. Therefore, in advanced anti-HBe-positive chronic hepatitis B, interferon shows a lower efficacy than in HBeAg-positive patients. The earlier treatment starts, the more efficacious is the response to interferon. Future clinical trials should focus on higher doses for longer periods, repeated courses or on combination therapy with nucleoside analogs or immuno-stimulant drugs.