ABSTRACT
Objective: To determine the frequency of HBeAg positivity in chronic hepatitis B infected patients
Methodology: This descriptive cross-sectional study was carried out for one year between June 01, 2014 till May 30, 2015 in a private consulting clinic at Ibrahimi Hospital, Dabgari Gardens, Peshawar - Pakistan. A total of 149 patients were included in the study. All patients of either gender between 15 to 70 years of age, newly diagnosed with HBV infection in the form of positive HBsAg on third generation ELISA were included in the study. In all the patients, HBeAg was checked. Data were analyzed using SPSS version 20.0
Results: Out of the total 149 patients between 20 to 60 years [mean 41 +/-8.7] included in the study, the males 112 [75.2%] outnumbered the females 37 [24.8%]. The prevalence of HbeAg in chronic HBV was 28.2 % [males 16.10 %, females 12.08%] with more patients [22.14%] between 21 and 40 years of age
Conclusion: The frequency of HbeAg was found in a significant number of chronic HBV patients. Its frequency was more in males and in the age group of 21 to 40 years
ABSTRACT
To study the effect of Telbuvidine [LDT] mono therapy in the treatment of HBeAg positive Chronic Hepatitis B infection [CHB] with normal ALT levels. Ninety HBe antigen [HBeAg] positive CHB infection patients were enrolled and followed between June 2008 and June 2011. All of them had ALT levels less than twice the upper normal limit [Mean 36.9 SD 19.9]. All patients were HBeAg positive, had serum DNA level >10[4] copies/ml and never had previously received anti HBV treatment. All patients were given LDT 600mg daily as initial antiviral treatment for two years. Out of 83 patients who continued the treatment as per protocol, 59 were males and 24 were females between ages of 21 and 50 years. Baseline HBV DNA levels were 7.82x10[7] copies/ml [Range 4.8x10[4]-8.3x10[9] copies/ml]. By the end of first year [52 weeks] the mean decrease in serum HBV DNA levels was 7.88 log[10] copies/ml and the proportion of patients having undetectable HBV DNA levels was 73%. At the end of second year of therapy [96 weeks] the percentage of undetectable HBV DNA levels increased to 86%. At the end of 1[st] [52 weeks] and 2[nd] [96 weeks] HBeAg seroconversion rates were 62% and 86% while HBsAg seroconversion was 8% and 13% respectively. LDT is a reasonable cost effective therapy for HBeAg reactive CHB patients with normal baseline ALT levels resulting in a significant serological and virological response and was well tolerated in our population of Khyber Pukhtunkhwa