Follow-Up of 108 Patients with Chronic Hepatitis B Virus Infection Treated with Polyethylene Glycol-Conjugated Derivatives of Interferon-Alpha and Monitoring of Off-Treatment Virological Relapse

BACKGROUND: This single center study, which enrolled 108 patients with chronic hepatitis B virus infection treated with pegylated interferon-alpha (PEG-IFN-α), aimed to follow up and monitor off-treatment responses, including virological relapse, and analyze predictors of long-term efficacy of the PEG-IFN-α regimen. MATERIAL/METHODS: In total, 108 hepatitis B e antigen (HBeAg)-positive patients with chronic hepatitis B who had completed the PEG-IFN-α regimen and achieved virological suppression were enrolled. The patients were followed up for 5 years to monitor off-treatment responses. Twenty-eight relevant factors, including the history of antiviral therapy and HBeAg seroconversion, were analyzed using the Cox proportional hazards regression model. RESULTS: The cumulative rates of virological suppression were 75.70%, 68.68%, 65.25%, 63.91%, and 63.91% at 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5 years of the follow-up period, respectively. Compared with the rates of virological suppression, the cumulative rates of clinical suppression were 88.41%, 79.83%, 78.59%, 75.65%, and 75.65%, respectively, for the 5 years. Alanine aminotransferase (ALT) normalization at 24 weeks after off-therapy (relative risk [RR]=3.430, P=0.013) was a potential predictor for sustained virological suppression, and the history of anti-viral therapy (RR=0.164, P=0.004), quantitative value of hepatitis B virus surface antigen (HBsAg) at 48 weeks of anti-viral therapy (RR=2.697, P=0.039), and ALT normalization at 24 weeks after off-therapy (RR=5.467, P=0.004) were potential predictors for sustained clinical suppression. CONCLUSIONS: Our results suggested that increased HBsAg levels at 48 weeks and normalization of ALT at 24 weeks after off-therapy might be predictive factors for long-term treatment efficacy.