Lamivudine combined with adefovir dipivoxil for chronic hepatitis B

Objective To evaluate the efficacy of lamivudine (LAM) combined with adefovir dipivoxil (ADV) on chronic hepatitis B. Methods 84 patients with chronic hepatitis B were randomized into 2 groups, Group A received 100 mg/d of LAM, and Group B received 100 mg/d of LAM and 10 mg/d of ADV. All patients received treatments for 48 weeks. The liver function, and negative rate and seroconversion rate of HBeAg at week 24 and 48 after treatment were observed. The normalization of ALT and adverse drug reaction of the 2 groups were compared. Results Serum levels of HBV DNA in the 2 groups were decreased with time after the treatment. The HBV DNA seroconversion rate was similar between the two groups at week 24, and that was significantly different at week 48. The negative rate and seroconversion rate of HBeAg were not significant different between the 2 groups. At week 48, the normalization rate of ALT in Group B was significantly different from that in Group A. No severe adverse events was observed in the 2 groups. Conclusion LAM combined with ADV can more effectively treating chronic hepatitis B than LAM alone.