Seroconversion of HBsAg in HBeAg positive and HBeAg negative patients with chronic HBV treated with entecavir: a case series

G. d’Ettorre 1, G. Barbarini 2, F. Corti 3, M. Gobber 4, C. Pastecchia 5, G.L. Ricci 6, M. Siciliano 7, B.E. Annicchiarico 7, V. Vullo 1

1 Department of Infectious Diseases & Tropical Medicine, Sapienza University, Rome (Italy); 2 Department of Infectious and Tropical Diseases IRCCS Policlinico S. Matteo, University of Pavia (Italy); 3 Department of Gastroenterology, Versilia Hospital, Lido di Camaiore, Italy; 4 ASL Vercelli (Italy); 5 Infectious Diseases Clinic, University of Milan, L. Sacco Hospital, Milan (Italy); 6 Department of Internal Medicine, Sapienza University, Rome (Italy); 7 Department of Internal Medicine, Catholic University of the Sacred Heart, Rome (Italy)

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• Gastroenterology

We report a case series of three HBeAg positive and five HBeAg negative patients (7 males, mean age 50.6±14.6 years) with chronic HBV infection experiencing seroconversion after treatment with entecavir (0.5 mg/day or 1 mg/day), initiated in 2007. Overall, the mean time to HBsAg clearance was 9.4±4.5 months. Seroconversion occurred in all patients, after a mean time of 8.0±3.7 months. In HBeAg negative patients, mean time to HBsAg clearance and to seroconversion were 9.2±5.9 and 6.8±4.0 months, respectively. In HBeAg positive patients, mean time to HBsAg clearance and to seroconversion were 9.7±0.6 months and 10.0±2.6 months, respectively. In this case series, seroconversion was maintained and was observed both in HBeAg positive patients and in HBeAg negative patients. Therefore, it may be preliminarily suggested that treatment with entecavir could be associated to HBsAg seroconversion in a short period of time, in both HBeAg positive and HBeAg negative HBV patients.

Corresponding Author: Gabriella d’Ettorre, MD; e-mail: gabriella.dettorre@uniroma1.it

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