Persistent ALT Elevation in Chronic Hepatitis B Patients Entering to Remission with Treatment
Öz
Aim: Our aim is to investigate the reason for persistent ALT elevation in chronic Hepatitis B (CHB) patients entering into
remission with antiviral treatment.
Material Method: 10 patients with persistent ALT elevation were included in the study and their pre-treatment HBV-DNA
values, serological tests, ALT, AST titers, liver fibrosis degree, ultrasonography (USG) and antiviral medicines they were
taking were analyzed. While the time passed since the beginning of the treatment in these patients was evaluated, their HBVDNA,
serology, bio-chemical tests, other liver functions tests, serum cholesterol and triglyceride levels, liver USG,
autoimmune tests and possible other hepatitis reasons were searched again.
Results: At the beginning of the treatment, HBV-DNA values of the 10 patients, all of whom were male, were between 104
-108
copy/ml and 5 of the patients had HBeAg seroconversion. Considering virological response with treatment, HBV-DNA was
244 IU/ml in only one of the patients whereas it was negative in the rest and HBeAg seroconversion occurred in all the
patients. It was realized that there was an increase in ALT values of five patients compared to pretreatment; ALT value
remained the same in one of the patients and ALT values of the remaining four patients did not decrease to normal despite a
decline. When liver USG was analyzed, no other pathology was determined except for the grade I hepatosteatosis in two
patients. Other viral hepatitis agents and autoimmune hepatitis markers were negative, and liver functions tests and alphafetoprotein
(AFP) were normal. In the patients’ stories, there was no reference to quitting medicines, alcohol and drug use or
taking other medicines that could be a cause. Considering the antiviral medicines the patients took, it was observed that four of
the patients took entecavir, four of them took tenofovir, one took entecavir + tenofovir, one took telbivudin and one took PegInterferon.
Conclusion: ALT elevation of CHB patients may continue even if they are virologically and serologically in remission with
treatment. This situation faces us as a problem which has no precisely known reason and needs highlighting.
Anahtar Kelimeler
Kaynakça
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Ayrıntılar
Birincil Dil
İngilizce
Konular
Klinik Tıp Bilimleri
Bölüm
Araştırma Makalesi
Yayımlanma Tarihi
31 Ağustos 2017
Gönderilme Tarihi
18 Nisan 2017
Kabul Tarihi
4 Ağustos 2017
Yayımlandığı Sayı
Yıl 2017 Cilt: 14 Sayı: 2