Kinetics of hepatitis B surface antigen and estimated glomerular filtration rate in telbivudine-treated hepatitis B patients with different rescue strategies.

Abstract

This study investigated the kinetics of estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) and quantitative hepatitis B surface antigen (qHBsAg) in telbivudine (LdT)-treated chronic hepatitis B (CHB) patients whose treatment was subsequently adjusted with the adding on adefovir or by switching to tenofovir disoproxil fumarate (TDF) as rescue. Of 295 CHB patients initially treated with LdT, 102 of them who subsequently receiving either adding-on adefovir (group A, n = 58) or switching to TDF (group B, n = 44) for more than 24 months were enrolled. Serial eGFR and qHBsAg levels (3 to 6 monthly) in both LdT monotherapy and rescue therapy periods were analyzed retrospectively. Subsequent decline of qHBsAg especially in rescue therapy period were noted (p20% from baseline. Both rescue therapies achieved subsequent declines of qHBsAg over time but caused different changes in eGFR. LdT-based rescue therapy maintained eGFR but TDF switching therapy descended eGFR. Therefore, it is essential to monitor patient's renal function intensively when switching from LdT to TDF as a rescue strategy.