The Predictive Value of Baseline HBs Ag Level and Early Response for HBs Ag Loss in Patients with HBe Ag-positive Chronic Hepatitis B during Pegylated Interferon Alpha-2a Treatment

Objective To explore the predictive value of baseline HBs Ag level and early response for HBs Ag loss in patients with HBe Ag-positive chronic hepatitis B during pegylated interferon alpha-2a treatment. Methods A total of 121 patients with HBe Ag-positive chronic hepatitis B who achieved HBs Ag loss were enrolled; all patients were treated with PEG-IFNα-2a 180 μg/week. Serum HBV DNA and serological indicators （HBs Ag, anti-HBs, HBe Ag, and anti-HBe） were determined before and every 3 months during treatment. Results The median treatment time for HBs Ag loss was 84 weeks （7-273 weeks）, and 74.38% （90 cases） of the patients needed extended treatment （〉 48 weeks）. The correlation between baseline HBs Ag levels and the treatment time of HBs Ag loss was significant （B = 14.465, t = 2.342, P = 0.021）. Baseline HBs Ag levels together with the decline range of HBs Ag at 24 weeks significantly correlated with the treatment time of HBs Ag loss （B = 29.862, t = 4.890, P = 0.000 and B = 27.993, t = 27.993, P = 0.005）. Conclusion Baseline HBs Ag levels and extended therapy are critical steps toward HBs Ag loss. Baseline HBs Ag levels together with early response determined the treatment time of HBs Ag loss in patients with HBe Ag-positive chronic hepatitis B during pegylated interferon alpha-2a treatment.

Combination Therapy with Pegylated Interferon alpha-2b and Adefovir Dipivoxil in HBeAg-positive Chronic Hepatitis B versus Interferon Alone: A Prospective, Randomized Study

Currently available monotherapies of oral nucleoside/nucleotide analogs or interferon are unable to achieve a sustained and effective response in most of patients with chronic hepatitis B（CHB）. The objective of the present study was to compare the efficacy and safety of pegylated interferon（Peg-IFN） alpha-2b plus adefovir dipivoxil combination therapy versus Peg-IFN alpha-2b alone. Sixty-one HBeAg-positive chronic hepatitis B patients were randomized to receive Peg-IFN alpha-2b alone（1.5 μg/kg once weekly） or Peg-IFN alpha-2b plus adefovir（10 mg daily） for up to 52 weeks. Efficacy and safety analyses were performed on all participants who received at least one dose of study medication. The rate of HBeAg seroconversion and undetectable HBV-DNA were evaluated after 52 weeks of therapy. At the end of treatment, 11 of 30（36.7%） patients receiving combination therapy achieved HBeAg seroconversion versus 8 of 31（25.8%） in the monotherapy group（P=0.36）. In contrast, the percentage of patients with undetectable serum HBV DNA was significantly higher in the combination group than in the monotherapy group（76.7% vs. 29.0%, P〈0.001）. Thyroid dysfunction was more frequent in the combination group than in the monotherapy group（P〈0.05）. In HBeAg-positive CHB, combination of Peg-IFN alpha-2b and adefovir for 52 weeks resulted, at the end of treatment, in a higher virological response but without significant impact on the rate of HBeAg seroconversion and possibly an adverse effect on thyroid function.

CHOP-like Regimen in Combination with Rituximab and Peginterferon Alpha-2b in Newly-diagnosed Diffuse Large B-cell Non-Hodgkin＇s Lymphoma： Experience in a Chinese Center

OBJECTIVE To evaluate the efficacy of rituximab combined with CHOP-like regimen with or without IFN in patients newly diagnosed diffuse large B-cell Non-Hodgkin＇s lymphoma （DLBCL）.METHODS From January 2003 to July 2008, 51 patients received CHOP-like chemotherapy （cyclophosphamide 750 mg/m2, epirubicin 80 mg/m2, vindesine 2.8 mg/m2 on day 1, and prednisolone 100 mg/day on day 1 to day 5）. Thirty-one patients received CHOPR-like treatment （rituximab 375 mg/m2 1 day before CHOP-like chemotherapy）. Twenty patients received CHOP-like regimen in combination with peginterferon （pegIFN） （1μg/kg on day 5） and rituximab （on day 6）.RESULTS -The CR （complete remission） rate in the CHOPR-like （with or without pegIFN） group and in the CHOP-like group was 78.4% and 45.1% （P = 0.005）, respectively. The estimated mean time of overall survival （OS） in the CHOPR-like group and CHOP- like group was 58.7 ± 2.8 and 36.4 ±3.4 months, respectively （P = 0.002）. The rates of CR and OR （overall remission） in CHOPR- like with IFN arm were 85.0% and 95.0%, and the rates of those in CHOPR-like without IFN arm were 74.2% and 87.0% （P 〉 0.05）. The estimated mean time of 4-year-PFS （progression- free survival） in CHOPR-like with IFN arm and in CHOPR-like without IFN arm was 62.9 ±3.0 months and 51.0 ± 4.6 months （P = 0.092）, respectively. In the CHOPR-like with IFN arm, no patient relapsed after achieving CR, while the estimated rate of 4-year- DFS （disease-free survival） in the patients who reached CR in the CHOPR-like without IFN arm was （63.4 ± 19.3）% （P = 0.061）. CONCLUSION Rituximab combined with CHOP-like chemotherapy improved the prognosis of DLBCL patients. The IFN may help to improve the quality and duration of response of DLBCL patients treated with rituximab and CHOP-like regimen.

Serum proteins in chronic hepatitis B patients treated with peginterferon alfa-2b

AIM: To study the differential protein profile in serum of hepatitis B patients.METHODS: Serum samples were obtained from patients with chronic hepatitis B who were receiving peginterferon alfa-2b.The serum samples were subjected to albumin depletion and analyzed by two-dimensional gel electrophoresis(2-DE).Differentially expressed protein spots were identified by electrospray ionizationquadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry.Alpha2-HS-glycoprotein,complement component C3c and CD5 antigen were further analyzed by an enzymelinked immunosorbent assay and immunonephelometry.RESULTS: Nineteen patients with HBeAg-positive chronic hepatitis B(CHB) were studied.These patients were followed for at least 1 year after treatment and were classified according to their treatment response: responders(n = 9) and non-responders(n = 10).2-DE and MS/MS analysis were performed to compare the serum proteins before initiating peginterferon alfa2b.From the quantitative analysis of the 2-D gel,7 proteins were detected between the two groups at different levels before treatment.Among these potential candidates,serum levels of alpha-2-HS-glycoprotein,complement component C3c and CD5 antigen-like precursor were further analyzed.In the validation phase,23 subjects,9 sustained responders and 14 nonresponders,were recruited.Interestingly,the levels of alpha-2-HS-glycoprotein and complement component C3c were elevated in the serum of the non-responders compared to the responders.CONCLUSION: Serum alpha-2-HS-glycoprotein and complement component C3c may be potential serum biomarkers in predicting the treatment response of peginterferon alfa-2b in patients with CHB prior to treatment.

Study of recombinant human IFN-α-2b bacilli Calmette–Guerin activated killer cells and against bladder cancer cell in vitro

Presently,one of the most potent immunothera-pies is the application of bacillus Calmette Guerin(BCG)to prevent recurrences of the superficial bladder cancer.Despite its successful use,nonresponders and certain side effects remain a major obstacle.Therefore,current studies aim at developing recombinant BCG(rBCG)strains secreting Th1-like cytokines to improve the effectiveness of the therapy.In this study,a new type of rBCG strain constructed by Tianjin institute of Urology was tested for its immunostimulatory capacity in vitro.Peripheral blood monocytes(PBMC)were stimulated by recombinant BCG and transformed into bacilli Calmette–Guerin activated killer(BAK)cells,and the effect of anticancer BAK cells was studied.Recombinant IFN-a-2b-BCG,wild-type BCG(wBCG),wild-type BCG and IFN-a-2b were coincubated with PBMCs respectively in vitro,and the proliferation of PBMC was detected with MTT in different time.BAK cells have the ability to kill bladder tumor cells,and the antitumor activity of effecter cells was determined by LDH release assay.The result of MTT showed that the proli-feration of PBMC in the recombinant BCG group was more powerful than in the other two groups(P<0.05).The result of LDH release assay showed that the antitumor activity of BAK cells stimulated by Recombinant BCG was the highest in all groups.We conclude that the recombinant BCG can activate more PBMCs to anti-bladder cancer in vitro than wild-type BCG does.