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Journal of Clinical Microbiology, September 2004, p. 3932-3936, Vol. 42, No. 9
0095-1137/04/$08.00+0     DOI: 10.1128/JCM.42.9.3932-3936.2004
Copyright © 2004, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.

Long-Term Follow-Up Study of Chinese Patients with YMDD Mutations: Significance of Hepatitis B Virus Genotypes and Characteristics of Biochemical Flares

Man-Fung Yuen,1* He-Jun Yuan,1 Erwin Sablon,2 Danny Ka-Ho Wong,1 Annie On-On Chan,1 Benjamin Chun-Yu Wong,1 and Ching-Lung Lai1*

Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Department of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, and Queen Mary Hospital, Hong Kong,1 Innogenetics N.V., Ghent, Belgium2

Received 23 December 2003/ Returned for modification 29 April 2004/ Accepted 1 June 2004

We sought to examine the role of hepatitis B virus (HBV) genotypes in virological breakthroughs and biochemical flares in patients with YMDD mutations during lamivudine therapy. Virologic breakthroughs (i.e., the reappearance of HBV DNA as determined by bDNA assay) and biochemical flares (mild flares = alanine aminotransferase [ALT] between 2 and 10 times the upper limit of normal [ULN]; severe flares = ALT >10 times ULN) were monitored in 154 hepatitis B e antigen-positive patients receiving long-term lamivudine. The HBV genotypes and YMDD mutations were determined. Forty-three patients had virological breakthroughs with YMDD mutations (median follow-up of 29.6 months [range, 22.3 to 61.4]). Twenty patients (47%) patients had mild biochemical flares; seven (16%) had severe flares. Two patients showed an elevation of bilirubin level that is >2 times the ULN. All patients recovered spontaneously. The cumulative risks for biochemical flares were 28, 47, and 58% for the first 3 years, respectively. Patients with biochemical flares compared to those without flares had a significantly higher median pretreatment ALT level (61 U/liter versus 34.5 U/liter [P = 0.012]). There were no differences in the cumulative risk of virological breakthroughs, risk, and severity of biochemical flares between patients with genotypes B (n = 11) and C (n = 32). There was an increase in the percentage of patients with single YMDD mutant at last follow-up compared to that at the time of virological breakthroughs (74% [n = 32] versus 47% [n = 20], respectively; P = 0.015). The chances of YMDD mutations with virological breakthroughs and biochemical flares were similar in patients with genotypes B and C. Biochemical flares were common, with 16% being severe in nature. High pretreatment ALT levels were associated with a higher chance of biochemical flares.

* Corresponding author. Mailing address: Department of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Queen Mary Hospital, Pokfulam Rd., Hong Kong, Peoples Republic of China. Phone: (852) 28553111. Fax: (852) 28162863. E-mail for M.-F. Yuen: yuenmf{at}netvigator.com. E-mail for C.-L. Lai: hrmelcl{at}hkucc.hku.hk.

Journal of Clinical Microbiology, September 2004, p. 3932-3936, Vol. 42, No. 9
0095-1137/04/$08.00+0     DOI: 10.1128/JCM.42.9.3932-3936.2004
Copyright © 2004, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.





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