Antiviral Therapy 13:991–999
Original article Adefovir for chronic hepatitis B treatment: identification of virological markers linked to therapy response Francisco Rodriguez-Frias1,2*, Rosendo Jardi1,2, Melanie Schaper1,2, Maria Buti 2,3, Carles Ferrer-Costa 4, David Tabernero 2, Maria Homs2 and Rafael Esteban 2,3 Department of Biochemistry, Hospital Universitario Vall d’Hebron, Barcelona, Spain Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Enfermedades Hepáticas y Digestivas, Barcelona, Spain 3 Department of Hepatology, Hospital Universitario Vall d’Hebron, Barcelona, Spain 4 Molecular Modelling and Bioinformatics Unit, Institut de Recerca Biomèdica, Parc Científic de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain 1 2
*Corresponding author: E-mail:
[email protected]
Background: HBV variants rtA181V/T, rtN236T and rtI233V, which confer resistance to adefovir dipivoxil (ADV), are not detected in many non-responding patients. Virological characteristics useful for predicting response have not been clearly elucidated. We determined pretreatment virological markers to predict non-response and possible emergence of new variants during therapy. Methods: This longitudinal study included 41 patients with chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection receiving ADV monotherapy or ADV plus lamivudine (3TC). A fragment of HBV polymerase including catalytic domains was analysed for ADV-resistant variants. Results: Complete virological response (CVR; HBV DNA
