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Journal of Clinical Microbiology, October 2004, p. 4882-4884, Vol. 42, No. 10
0095-1137/04/$08.00+0     DOI: 10.1128/JCM.42.10.4882-4884.2004
Copyright © 2004, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.

CASE REPORT

HBsAg Seroclearance in Chinese Patients Receiving Lamivudine Therapy for Chronic Hepatitis B Virus Infection

Man-Fung Yuen, Danny Ka-Ho Wong, He-Jun Yuan, Siu-Man Sum, and Ching-Lung Lai*

Department of Medicine, Queen Mary Hospital, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong

Received 2 December 2003/ Returned for modification 16 January 2004/ Accepted 5 May 2004

We report two Chinese patients in whom lamivudine treatment resulted in HBsAg seroclearance. One patient received lamivudine, and another patient received 12-week famciclovir treatment followed by lamivudine. Lamivudine was maintained after HBeAg seroconversion. These two patients lost HBsAg at 24 and 27 months (ages, 23 and 19.3 years, respectively) and developed measurable titer of anti-HBs after 65 and 71 months of therapy, respectively. The liver biochemistry was normal after HBeAg seroconversion. The serum hepatitis B virus (HBV) DNA levels were undetectable (<200 copies/ml) both at the time of HBeAg seroconversion and at the last follow-up. Liver biopsy of one patient showed nearly normal histology, with undetectable intrahepatic total HBV DNA and covalently closed circular DNA. In conclusion, lamivudine therapy can result in HBsAg seroclearance at an early age even though the phenomenon is rare.

* Corresponding author. Mailing address: Department of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Queen Mary Hospital, Pokfulam Rd., Hong Kong, People's Republic of China. Phone: (852) 28554252. Fax: (852) 28162863. E-mail: hrmelcl{at}hkucc.hku.hk.

Journal of Clinical Microbiology, October 2004, p. 4882-4884, Vol. 42, No. 10
0095-1137/04/$08.00+0     DOI: 10.1128/JCM.42.10.4882-4884.2004
Copyright © 2004, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.





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