Combined effect of pegylated interferon α with adefovir on renal function in Chinese patients with chronic hepatitis B

BACKGROUND: Long-term safety of treatment with hepatitis B virus (HBV) polymerase inhibitors is a concern. Adefovir dipivoxil (ADV) and/or interferon alfa (IFN-α) therapies have previously been associated with impairment of renal function. Limited data are available on the safety of combination therapy with nucleos (t)ide analogues (NAs) and IFN-α. The aim of this analysis was to assess the renal function during combined therapy with pegylated interferon α-2b (PEG-IFN-α-2b) and ADV versus PEG-IFN-α-2b alone in patients with chronic hepatitis B (CHB). METHODS: We performed a multicenter, prospective, open-label, randomized-controlled trial of renal function data to investigate the efficacy of 48 weeks of therapy with PEG-IFN-α-2b and ADV versus PEG-IFN-α-2b alone in 102 patients with CHB in Anhui, China. Glomerular filtration rates (GFRs) were calculated by Cockcroft–Gault (CG), abbreviated Modification of Diet in Renal Disease (MDRD) study, and Chronic Kidney Disease Epidemiology Collaboration (CKD-EPI) equation, and were tested by repeated-measures 1-way analysis of variance within groups. A linear mixed effects model for repeated measures was also used to evaluate the association between baseline information and estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) changes overtime in all enrolled patients. The model considered the baseline age, sex, HBV DNA, aminotransferase, treatment group, time, and group-by-time interaction as fixed effects and incorporated random effects for individual subjects. RESULTS: After 48 weeks of therapy and further 24 weeks of follow-up, the eGFR decreased both in patients given PEG-IFN-α-2b single therapy and combined therapy. Age, HBV DNA, and combined therapy were significant negative predictive factors for eGFR changes. CONCLUSION: The incidence of renal adverse events in both groups was low, and the combination therapy may have delayed, but reversible renal impairment.