Observation on clinical efficacy and drug resistance of entecavir in patients with hepatitis B-related cirrhosis

Objective To evaluate the efficacy of entecavir in treatment of active cirrhosis due to chronic hepatitis B.Methods Sixty-eight patients with active cirrhosis of hepatitis B virus infection were randomly divided into trial group(36 cases) and control group(32 cases),and they were evaluated with liver function,Child-Pugh scores and reduction of serum HBV DNA from baseline(copies/ml) after treatment for 48 weeks.Patients in trial group were treated with entecavir 0.5 mg orally once daily,and supportive treatment.Results There was significant difference in liver function,Child-Pugh scores,and reduction of serum level of HBV DNA from baseline(copies/ml) after treatment for 48 weeks between these two groups.Conclusion Entecavir therapy can result in significant improvement of liver function and prolonging survival time in patients with active HBV cirrhosis,and it can effectively decrease serum level of HBV DNA.