Adefovir dipivoxil for treatment of breakthrough hepatitis caused by lamivudine-resistant mutants of hepatitis B virus

OBJECTIVE: Adefovir dipivoxil (ADV) is a nucleoside analogue that inhibits wild-type hepatitis B virus (HBV) and lamivudine-resistant HBV mutants in vitro and in vivo. The aim of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of ADV against lamivudine-resistant mutants and of adefovir and interferon (IFN) add-on to lamivudine for patients with severe acute exacerbation of hepatitis caused by lamivudine-resistant mutants. METHODS: Fourteen patients with breakthrough hepatitis were treated with ADV. Four of the 14 patients also received IFN as combined treatment for severe acute exacerbation of hepatitis. RESULTS: At week 24, serum HBV DNA levels had significantly decreased by a median of over 4.8 log copies/ml in the ADV group and over 5.9 log copies/ml in the ADV + IFN group compared to baseline. The median decrease in alanine aminotransferase (ALT) levels from baseline to week 24 was -1.05 times the upper limit of normal (ULN) in the ADV group significant at week 24 compared with baseline (p = 0.012)] and -22.3 times the ULN in the ADV + IFN group. CONCLUSIONS: Administration of ADV add-on to lamivudine for patients with breakthrough hepatitis reduced HBV DNA and ALT levels. ADV and IFN add-on to lamivudine could prevent a fatal course in patients with severe acute exacerbation of hepatitis.