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Zhang Y, Lin X, Wu H, Chen J, Zheng Q. Systematic review with network meta-analysis: sustained hepatitis B surface antigen clearance after pegylated interferon cessation. Eur J Gastroenterol Hepatol 2024; 36:1159-1170. [PMID: 39083054 DOI: 10.1097/meg.0000000000002823] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 09/04/2024]
Abstract
The efficacy of different pegylated interferon (PEG-IFN) treatment strategies for achieving sustained hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) clearance in chronic hepatitis B (CHB) remains controversial. This study assesses the efficacy of different PEG-IFN treatment regimens and factors influencing sustained HBsAg clearance after PEG-IFN discontinuation. PubMed , Embase , Web of Science , and the Cochrane Library databases were searched from inception to June 2023, regarding PEG-IFN therapy in CHB. Methodological quality was assessed using the Cochrane risk of bias tool. We explored sources of heterogeneity through univariate meta-regression. Frequentist network meta-analyses were used to compare the efficacy of different PEG-IFN treatment strategies. We analyzed 53 studies (including 9338 CHB patients). After PEG-IFN withdrawal, the annual rates of HBsAg clearance and seroconversion were 6.9% [95% confidence interval (CI), 5.10-9.31] and 4.7% (95% CI, 2.94-7.42). The pooled 1-, 3-, and 5-year sustained HBsAg clearance rates were 7.4%, 9.9%, and 13.0%, and the sustained HBsAg seroconversion rates were 6.6%, 4.7%, and 7.8%, respectively. HBsAg quantification, hepatitis B e antigen status, and PEG-IFN treatment protocols were major sources of heterogeneity. Baseline HBsAg quantification was significantly lower in patients with sustained HBsAg clearance versus those without ( P < 0.046). PEG-IFN combined with tenofovir has the highest probability of achieving HBsAg seroconversion (surface under the cumulative ranking of 81.9%). Sustained HBsAg clearance increased approximately linearly from years 1 to 5 after PEG-IFN discontinuation. Low baseline HBsAg quantification has a significant impact on sustained HBsAg clearance. PEG-IFN combined with tenofovir may be optimal in achieving sustained HBsAg seroconversion.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ying Zhang
- Department of Hepatology, Hepatology Research Institute, the First Affiliated Hospital
- Department of Hepatology, National Regional Medical Center, Binhai Campus of the First Affiliated Hospital
| | - Xiaoyu Lin
- Department of Hepatology, Hepatology Research Institute, the First Affiliated Hospital
- Department of Hepatology, National Regional Medical Center, Binhai Campus of the First Affiliated Hospital
| | - Huizhen Wu
- Department of Medical Administration, the First Affiliated Hospital, Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou, China
| | - Jing Chen
- Department of Hepatology, Hepatology Research Institute, the First Affiliated Hospital
- Department of Hepatology, National Regional Medical Center, Binhai Campus of the First Affiliated Hospital
| | - Qi Zheng
- Department of Hepatology, Hepatology Research Institute, the First Affiliated Hospital
- Department of Hepatology, National Regional Medical Center, Binhai Campus of the First Affiliated Hospital
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Zhang PX, Tang QQ, Zhu J, Deng WY, Zhang ZH. Predictive models for functional cure in patients with CHB receiving PEG-IFN therapy based on HBsAg quantification through meta-analysis. Hepatol Int 2024; 18:1110-1121. [PMID: 38913149 DOI: 10.1007/s12072-024-10666-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/18/2023] [Accepted: 02/25/2024] [Indexed: 06/25/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND AIMS The efficacy of achieving HBsAg clearance through pegylated interferon (PEG-IFNα) therapy in patients with chronic hepatitis B (CHB) remains uncertain, especially regarding the probability of achieving functional cure among patients with varying baseline HBsAg levels. We aimed to investigate the predictive value of HBsAg quantification for HBsAg seroclearance in CHB patients undergoing PEG-IFNα treatment. METHODS A systematic search was conducted in PubMed, Embase, and the Cochrane Library up to January 11, 2022. Subgroup analyses were performed for HBeAg-positive and HBeAg-negative patients, PEG-IFNα monotherapy and PEG-IFNα combination therapy, treatment-naive and treatment-experienced patients, and patients with or without liver cirrhosis. RESULTS This predictive model incorporated 102 studies. The overall HBsAg clearance rates at the end of treatment (EOT) and the end of follow-up (EOF) were 10.6% (95% CI 7.8-13.7%) and 11.1% (95% CI 8.4-14.1%), respectively. Baseline HBsAg quantification was the most significant factor. According to the model, it is projected that when baseline HBsAg levels are 100, 500, 1500, and 10,000 IU/ml, the HBsAg clearance rates at EOF could reach 53.9% (95% CI 40.4-66.8%), 32.1% (95% CI 24.8-38.7%), 14.2% (95% CI 9.8-18.8%), and 7.9% (95% CI 4.2-11.8%), respectively. Additionally, treatment-experienced patients with HBeAg-negative status, and without liver cirrhosis exhibited higher HBsAg clearance rates after PEG-IFNα treatment. CONCLUSION A successful predictive model has been established to predict the achievement of functional cure in CHB patients receiving PEG-IFNα therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pei-Xin Zhang
- Department of Infectious Diseases, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, 678 Furong Road, Hefei, 230601, China
| | - Qian-Qian Tang
- Department of Infectious Diseases, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, 678 Furong Road, Hefei, 230601, China
| | - Jie Zhu
- Department of Infectious Diseases, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, 678 Furong Road, Hefei, 230601, China
| | - Wan-Yu Deng
- College of Life Science, Shangrao Normal University, Shangrao, China
| | - Zhen-Hua Zhang
- Department of Infectious Diseases, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, 678 Furong Road, Hefei, 230601, China.
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Li F, Qu L, Liu Y, Wu X, Qi X, Wang J, Zhu H, Yang F, Shen Z, Guo Y, Zhang Y, Yu J, Mao R, Zhang Q, Zhang F, Chen L, Huang Y, Zhang X, Li Q, Zhang W, Zhang J. PegIFN alpha-2a reduces relapse in HBeAg-negative patients after nucleo(s)tide analogue cessation: A randomized-controlled trial. J Hepatol 2024:S0168-8278(24)02426-7. [PMID: 39094743 DOI: 10.1016/j.jhep.2024.07.019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/15/2024] [Revised: 07/17/2024] [Accepted: 07/22/2024] [Indexed: 08/04/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND & AIMS Nucleo(s)tide analogue (NUC) cessation can lead to HBsAg clearance but also a high rate of virological relapse. However, the effect of pegylated interferon alpha-2a (PegIFN-α-2a) on virological relapse after NUC cessation is unknown. Therefore, this study aimed to evaluate the effect of switching from NUC to PegIFN-α-2a treatment for 48 weeks on virological relapse until week 96. METHODS In this multicentre randomized controlled clinical trial, 180 non-cirrhotic HBeAg-negative chronic hepatitis B patients on continuous NUC therapy for ≥ 2.5 years with HBV DNA levels < 60 IU/mL were randomized to discontinue NUC (n=90) or receive 48 weeks of PegIFN-α-2a treatment (n=90) and followed up till 96 weeks. The primary endpoint was the virological relapse rate until week 96. RESULTS Intention-to-treat analysis revealed patients in the interferon monotherapy group had significantly lower cumulative virological relapse rates than the NUC cessation group until week 96 (20.8% vs. 53.6%, P < 0.0001). Consistently, a significantly lower proportion of patients in the interferon monotherapy group had virological relapse than those in the NUC cessation group at 48 weeks off treatment (17.8% vs. 36.7%, P = 0.007). The virological relapse rate positively correlated with HBsAg levels in the NUC cessation group. The interferon monotherapy group had a lower cumulative clinical relapse rate (7.8% vs. 20.9%, P = 0.008) and a higher HBsAg loss rate (21.5% vs. 9.0%, P = 0.03) than the NUC cessation group. CONCLUSIONS Switching from NUC to PegIFN-α-2a treatment for 48 weeks significantly reduces virological relapse rates and achieves higher HBsAg loss rates than NUC treatment cessation alone in HBeAg-negative chronic hepatitis B patients. IMPACT AND IMPLICATIONS Nucleo(s)tide analogue (NUC) cessation can lead to HBsAg clearance but also a high rate of virological relapse, but an optimised scheme to reduce the virological relapse rate after NUC withdrawal is yet to be reported. This randomized controlled trial investigated the effect of switching from NUC to PegIFN-α-2a treatment for 48 weeks on virological relapse until week 96 in HBeAg-negative chronic hepatitis B patients. The interferon monotherapy group had a significantly lower cumulative virological relapse rate (20.8% vs. 53.6%, P < 0.0001) and higher HBsAg loss rate (21.5% vs. 9.0%, P= 0.03) than the NUC cessation group until week 96. This provides an optimized strategy for NUC cessation in HBeAg-negative patients. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER NCT02594293.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fahong Li
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Infectious Diseases and Biosafety Emergency Response, Shanghai Institute of Infectious Diseases and Biosecurity, National Medical Center for Infectious Diseases, Huashan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Lihong Qu
- Department of Infectious Disease, Shanghai East Hospital, Tongji University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Yanhong Liu
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Tongren hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Xiaoping Wu
- Department of Infectious Diseases, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, Jiangxi, China
| | - Xun Qi
- Department of Hepatology, Shanghai Public Health Clinical Center, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Jinyu Wang
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Infectious Diseases and Biosafety Emergency Response, Shanghai Institute of Infectious Diseases and Biosecurity, National Medical Center for Infectious Diseases, Huashan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Haoxiang Zhu
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Infectious Diseases and Biosafety Emergency Response, Shanghai Institute of Infectious Diseases and Biosecurity, National Medical Center for Infectious Diseases, Huashan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Feifei Yang
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Infectious Diseases and Biosafety Emergency Response, Shanghai Institute of Infectious Diseases and Biosecurity, National Medical Center for Infectious Diseases, Huashan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Zhongliang Shen
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Infectious Diseases and Biosafety Emergency Response, Shanghai Institute of Infectious Diseases and Biosecurity, National Medical Center for Infectious Diseases, Huashan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Yifei Guo
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Infectious Diseases and Biosafety Emergency Response, Shanghai Institute of Infectious Diseases and Biosecurity, National Medical Center for Infectious Diseases, Huashan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Yongmei Zhang
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Infectious Diseases and Biosafety Emergency Response, Shanghai Institute of Infectious Diseases and Biosecurity, National Medical Center for Infectious Diseases, Huashan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Jie Yu
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Infectious Diseases and Biosafety Emergency Response, Shanghai Institute of Infectious Diseases and Biosecurity, National Medical Center for Infectious Diseases, Huashan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Richeng Mao
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Infectious Diseases and Biosafety Emergency Response, Shanghai Institute of Infectious Diseases and Biosecurity, National Medical Center for Infectious Diseases, Huashan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Qiran Zhang
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Infectious Diseases and Biosafety Emergency Response, Shanghai Institute of Infectious Diseases and Biosecurity, National Medical Center for Infectious Diseases, Huashan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Fengdi Zhang
- Department of Infectious Disease, Shanghai East Hospital, Tongji University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Liang Chen
- Department of Hepatology, Shanghai Public Health Clinical Center, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Yuxian Huang
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Infectious Diseases and Biosafety Emergency Response, Shanghai Institute of Infectious Diseases and Biosecurity, National Medical Center for Infectious Diseases, Huashan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China.
| | - Xinxin Zhang
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Research Laboratory of Clinical Virology, Ruijin Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China.
| | - Qingxing Li
- Department of Infectious Diseases, The 1st Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou Medical University, Nanbaixiang, Ouhai District, Wenzhou, 325003, China.
| | - Wenhong Zhang
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Infectious Diseases and Biosafety Emergency Response, Shanghai Institute of Infectious Diseases and Biosecurity, National Medical Center for Infectious Diseases, Huashan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China.
| | - Jiming Zhang
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Infectious Diseases and Biosafety Emergency Response, Shanghai Institute of Infectious Diseases and Biosecurity, National Medical Center for Infectious Diseases, Huashan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China; Department of Infectious Diseases, Jing'An Branch of Huashan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China.
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Wei N, Zheng B, Cai H, Li N, Yang J, Liu M. Systematic review and meta-analysis: de novo combination of nucleos(t)ide analogs and pegylated interferon alpha versus pegylated interferon alpha monotherapy for the functional cure of chronic hepatitis B. Front Pharmacol 2024; 15:1403805. [PMID: 39035984 PMCID: PMC11259969 DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2024.1403805] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/19/2024] [Accepted: 06/10/2024] [Indexed: 07/23/2024] Open
Abstract
Introduction: Chronic hepatitis B (CHB) is a worldwide infectious disease caused by hepatitis B virus (HBV). Optimizing antiviral treatment strategies could improve the functional cure (FC) rate of patients with CHB. This study aims to systematically review the FC rate of the de novo combination of nucleos(t)ide analogs (NAs) and pegylated interferon α (PEG-IFNα) versus that of PEG-IFNα monotherapy for CHB. Methods: Databases were searched until 31 December 2023. Selected studies included randomized controlled trials on the de novo combination of NAs and PEG-IFNα versus PEG-IFNα monotherapy for 48 weeks in patients with CHB to achieve FC, which was defined as hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) loss and/or HBsAg seroconversion. Meta-analysis was conducted in accordance with the efficacy at the end of treatment and different time points during follow-up. Results: A total of 10 studies, encompassing 2,339 patients in total, were included. Subgroup analysis was conducted in accordance with whether first-line NAs were used. It found no statistically significant difference between HBsAg loss and HBsAg seroconversion at the end of treatment. Serum HBV DNA <500 copies/mL significantly differed between the two groups at the end of treatment and did not significantly differ during follow-up. Meanwhile, HBsAg loss and HBsAg seroconversion showed statistically significant differences at 24 weeks of follow-up. By contrast, no statistically significant difference was found in HBsAg loss at 48 weeks of follow-up. Discussion: Without distinguishing the eligible preponderant population, the efficacy of the de novo combination of NAs and PEG-IFNα in treating patients with CHB was not superior to that of PEG-IFNα monotherapy. Systematic Review Registration: PROSPERO, identifier CRD42022325239.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | - Maobai Liu
- Department of Pharmacy, Fujian Medical Union Hospital, Fuzhou, China
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Jiang S, Guo S, Huang Y, Yin Y, Feng J, Zhou H, Guo Q, Wang W, Xin H, Xie Q. Predictors of HBsAg seroclearance in patients with chronic HBV infection treated with pegylated interferon-α: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Hepatol Int 2024; 18:892-903. [PMID: 38461186 PMCID: PMC11126512 DOI: 10.1007/s12072-024-10648-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/07/2023] [Accepted: 01/22/2024] [Indexed: 03/11/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND AIMS The identification of reliable predictors for hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) seroclearance remains controversial. We aimed to summarize potential predictors for HBsAg seroclearance by pegylated interferon-α (PegIFNα) in patients with chronic HBV infection. METHODS A systematic search of the Cochrane Library, Embase, PubMed, and Web of Science databases was conducted from their inception to 28 September 2022. Meta-analyses were performed following the PRISMA statement. Predictors of HBsAg seroclearance were evaluated based on baseline characteristics and on-treatment indicators. RESULTS This meta-analysis encompasses 27 studies, including a total of 7913 patients. The findings reveal several factors independently associated with HBsAg seroclearance induced by PegIFNα-based regimens. These factors include age (OR = 0.961), gender (male vs. female, OR = 0.537), genotype (A vs. B/D; OR = 7.472, OR = 10.738), treatment strategy (combination vs. monotherapy, OR = 2.126), baseline HBV DNA (OR = 0.414), baseline HBsAg (OR = 0.373), HBsAg levels at week 12 and 24 (OR = 0.384, OR = 0.294), HBsAg decline from baseline to week 12 and 24 (OR = 6.689, OR = 6.513), HBsAg decline from baseline ≥ 1 log10 IU/ml and ≥ 0.5 log10 IU/ml at week 12 (OR = 18.277; OR = 4.530), and ALT elevation at week 12 (OR = 3.622). Notably, subgroup analysis suggests no statistical association between HBsAg levels at week 12 and HBsAg seroclearance for treatment duration exceeding 48 weeks. The remaining results were consistent with the overall analysis. CONCLUSIONS This is the first meta-analysis to identify predictors of HBsAg seroclearance with PegIFNα-based regimens, including baseline and on-treatment factors, which is valuable in developing a better integrated predictive model for HBsAg seroclearance to guide individualized treatment and achieve the highest cost-effectiveness of PegIFNα.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shaowen Jiang
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Ruijin Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Simin Guo
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Ruijin Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Yan Huang
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Ruijin Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Yalin Yin
- School of Life Sciences, Xiamen University, Xiamen, China
| | - Jingwen Feng
- School of Pharmacy, Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chengdu, China
| | - Huijuan Zhou
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Ruijin Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Qing Guo
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Ruijin Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Weijing Wang
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Ruijin Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China.
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Ruijin Hospital North, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China.
| | - Haiguang Xin
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Ruijin Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China.
| | - Qing Xie
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Ruijin Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China.
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Watanabe T, Hayashi S, Zhaoyu Y, Inada H, Nagaoka K, Tateyama M, Tanaka Y. A novel, small anti-HBV compound reduces HBsAg and HBV-DNA by destabilizing HBV-RNA. J Gastroenterol 2024; 59:315-328. [PMID: 38315437 DOI: 10.1007/s00535-023-02070-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/21/2023] [Accepted: 12/17/2023] [Indexed: 02/07/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Currently, standard treatments for chronic hepatitis B such as nucleos(t)ide analogs (NAs), effectively reduce hepatitis B virus (HBV) loads but rarely result in a functional cure (defined as sustained HBsAg loss). We report the discovery of a novel, 4-pyridone compound, SAG-524, a potent and orally bioavailable small molecule inhibitor of HBV replication. METHODS The antiviral characteristics and selectivity of SAG-524 and its derivative compound against HBV were evaluated in HBV-infection assays and HBV-infected chimeric urokinase-type plasminogen activator/severe combined immunodeficiency mice with humanized livers (PXB mice), alone or in combination with entecavir. Toxicity studies were conducted in mice and monkeys. RESULTS SAG-524 reduced HBV-DNA (IC50 = 0.92 nM) and HBsAg (IC50 = 1.4 nM) in the supernatant of the HepG2.2.15 cells. SAG-524 selectively destabilized HBV-RNA via PAPD5, but not GAPDH or albumin mRNA, by shortening the poly(A) tail. PAPD5 may also be involved in HBV regulation via ELAVL1. In a study of HBV-infected PXB mice, SAG-524 produced potent reductions of serum HBsAg and HBcrAg, and the minimum effective dose was estimated to be 6 mg/kg/day. The combination therapy with entecavir greatly reduced HBsAg and cccDNA in the liver due to reduction of human hepatocytes with good tolerability. Administration of SAG-524 to monkeys, up to 1000 mg/kg/day for two weeks, led to no significant toxicity, as determined by blood tests and pathological images. CONCLUSIONS We have identified SAG-524 as novel and orally bioavailable HBV-RNA destabilizers which can reduce HBsAg and HBV-DNA levels, and possibly contribute a functional cure.
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Affiliation(s)
- Takehisa Watanabe
- Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Faculty of Life Sciences, Kumamoto University, Honjo 1-1-1, Chuo, Kumamoto, 860-8556, Japan
| | - Sanae Hayashi
- Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Faculty of Life Sciences, Kumamoto University, Honjo 1-1-1, Chuo, Kumamoto, 860-8556, Japan
| | - Yan Zhaoyu
- Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Faculty of Life Sciences, Kumamoto University, Honjo 1-1-1, Chuo, Kumamoto, 860-8556, Japan
| | - Hiroki Inada
- Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Faculty of Life Sciences, Kumamoto University, Honjo 1-1-1, Chuo, Kumamoto, 860-8556, Japan
| | - Katsuya Nagaoka
- Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Faculty of Life Sciences, Kumamoto University, Honjo 1-1-1, Chuo, Kumamoto, 860-8556, Japan
| | - Masakuni Tateyama
- Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Faculty of Life Sciences, Kumamoto University, Honjo 1-1-1, Chuo, Kumamoto, 860-8556, Japan
| | - Yasuhito Tanaka
- Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Faculty of Life Sciences, Kumamoto University, Honjo 1-1-1, Chuo, Kumamoto, 860-8556, Japan.
- Department of Virology and Liver Unit, Nagoya City University Graduate School of Medical Science, Nagoya, Japan.
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Kumar K, Jindal A, Gupta E, Trehanpati N, Shasthry SM, Maiwall R, Arora V, Bhardwaj A, Kumar G, Kumar M, Sarin SK. Long Term HBsAg Responses to Peg-Interferon Alpha-2b in HBeAg Negative Chronic Hepatitis B Patients Developing Clinical Relapse after Stopping Long-Term Nucleos(t)ide Analogue Therapy. J Clin Exp Hepatol 2024; 14:101272. [PMID: 38076362 PMCID: PMC10709173 DOI: 10.1016/j.jceh.2023.08.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/14/2023] [Accepted: 08/17/2023] [Indexed: 09/23/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND AIMS A high proportion of hepatitis B e antigen (HBeAg)-negative chronic hepatitis B (CHB) patients develop clinical relapse after stopping long-term nucleotide analogues (NAs). The aim of this study was to assess the efficacy of pegylated interferon (PEG-IFN) alpha 2b in inducing hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) loss in such patients. METHODS NAs were stopped in 118 HBeAg-negative CHB patients fulfilling the Asian Pacific Association for the Study of Liver (APASL) 2015 criteria for stopping NAs; they had received NAs for a median interquartile range (IQR) of 60 (48-84) months. RESULTS Overall, 82 of 118 (69.5%) patients developed clinical relapse after stopping NAs; 44 within 12 months (and treated with PEG-IFN alpha 2b 1.5 mcg/kg weekly subcutaneous injections for 48 weeks); and 38 after 12 months [and treated with tenofovir alafenamide fumarate (TAF) 25 mg daily] of follow-up. The decision to treat with either PEG-IFN or TAF was not a time-bound decision but was due to logistical problems.During the median IQR follow-up of 48 (43.5-52.5) months after the start of PEG-IFN, 14 of 44 (31.8%) patients developed clinical relapse after stopping PEG-IFN and were started on TAF. At the last follow-up visit, HBsAg was found to be negative in 7/44 (15.9%) of patients receiving PEG-IFN.Among 38 patients treated with TAF for clinical relapse, during the median IQR follow-up of 18 (12-30) months after start of TAF, no patient became HBsAg negative.36 patients did not develop clinical relapse during the follow-up, and after a median IQR follow-up of 60 (60-60) months after stopping NAs, HBsAg negative was found in 1/36 (2.8%) of patient at the last follow-up. CONCLUSIONS Among patients with HBeAg-negative chronic hepatitis B who developed clinical relapse after stopping long-term NAs therapy and were subsequently treated with PEG-IFN alpha 2b, 15.9% achieved HBsAg loss on long-term follow-up.
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Affiliation(s)
- Karan Kumar
- Department of Hepatology and Liver Transplantation, Institute of Liver and Biliary Sciences, New Delhi, India
| | - Ankur Jindal
- Department of Hepatology and Liver Transplantation, Institute of Liver and Biliary Sciences, New Delhi, India
| | - Ekta Gupta
- Department of Virology, Institute of Liver and Biliary Sciences, New Delhi, India
| | - Nirupma Trehanpati
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Medicine, Institute of Liver and Biliary Sciences, New Delhi, India
| | - Saggere M. Shasthry
- Department of Hepatology and Liver Transplantation, Institute of Liver and Biliary Sciences, New Delhi, India
| | - Rakhi Maiwall
- Department of Hepatology and Liver Transplantation, Institute of Liver and Biliary Sciences, New Delhi, India
| | - Vinod Arora
- Department of Hepatology and Liver Transplantation, Institute of Liver and Biliary Sciences, New Delhi, India
| | - Ankit Bhardwaj
- Department of Clinical Research, Institute of Liver and Biliary Sciences, New Delhi, India
| | - Guresh Kumar
- Department of Biostatistics, Institute of Liver and Biliary Sciences, New Delhi, India
| | - Manoj Kumar
- Department of Hepatology and Liver Transplantation, Institute of Liver and Biliary Sciences, New Delhi, India
| | - Shiv K. Sarin
- Department of Hepatology and Liver Transplantation, Institute of Liver and Biliary Sciences, New Delhi, India
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Qin A, Wu CR, Ho MC, Tsai CY, Chen PJ. Sequential Therapy with Ropeginterferon Alfa-2b and Anti-Programmed Cell Death 1 Antibody for Inhibiting the Recurrence of Hepatitis B-Related Hepatocellular Carcinoma: From Animal Modeling to Phase I Clinical Results. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 25:433. [PMID: 38203603 PMCID: PMC10778875 DOI: 10.3390/ijms25010433] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/06/2023] [Revised: 12/23/2023] [Accepted: 12/27/2023] [Indexed: 01/12/2024] Open
Abstract
Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) usually recurs after curative surgical resection. Currently, no approved adjuvant therapy has been shown to reduce HCC recurrence rates. In this study, the in vivo effect of sequential combination treatment with recombinant mouse interferon-alpha (rmIFN-α) and an anti-mouse-PD1 antibody on hepatitis B virus (HBV) clearance in mice was evaluated. A Phase I clinical trial was then conducted to assess the safety, tolerability, and inhibitory activity of sequential therapy with ropeginterferon alfa-2b and nivolumab in patients with HCC recurrence who underwent curative surgery for HBV-related HCC. The animal modeling study showed that HBV suppression was significantly greater with the rmIFN-α and anti-PD1 sequential combination treatment in comparison with sole treatment with rmIFN-α or anti-PD1. In the Phase I study, eleven patients completed the sequential therapy with ropeginterferon alfa-2b every two weeks for six doses at 450 µg, followed by three doses of nivolumab every two weeks up to 0.75 mg/kg. A notable decrease in or clearance of HBV surface antigen was observed in two patients. The dose-limiting toxicity of grade 3 alanine transaminase and aspartate aminotransferase increases was observed in one patient. The maximum tolerated dose was then determined. To date, no HCC recurrence has been observed. The treatment modality was well tolerated. These data support the further clinical development of sequential combination therapy as a post-surgery prophylactic measure against the recurrence of HBV-related HCC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Albert Qin
- Medical Research & Clinical Operations, PharmaEssentia Corporation, Taipei 115, Taiwan
| | - Chang-Ru Wu
- Graduate Institute of Clinical Medicine, National Taiwan University College of Medicine, Taipei 100, Taiwan
| | - Ming-Chih Ho
- Department of Surgery, National Taiwan University Hospital, Taipei 100, Taiwan
| | - Chan-Yen Tsai
- Medical Research & Clinical Operations, PharmaEssentia Corporation, Taipei 115, Taiwan
| | - Pei-Jer Chen
- Graduate Institute of Clinical Medicine, National Taiwan University College of Medicine, Taipei 100, Taiwan
- Hepatitis Research Center, National Taiwan University Hospital, Taipei 100, Taiwan
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9
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Lok J, Guerra Veloz MF, Agarwal K. Overview of New Targets for Hepatitis B Virus: Immune Modulators, Interferons, Bifunctional Peptides, Therapeutic Vaccines and Beyond. Clin Liver Dis 2023; 27:857-876. [PMID: 37778774 DOI: 10.1016/j.cld.2023.05.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/03/2023]
Abstract
Nucleos(t)ide analogs are the cornerstone of treatment against hepatitis B virus; however, they have no direct effect on its transcriptional template (ie, covalently closed circular DNA) and so functional cure is rarely achieved. Over recent years, there has been a significant improvement in our understanding of the viral life cycle and its mechanisms of immune evasion. In this review article, we will explore novel therapeutic targets, discuss the latest data from clinical trials, and highlight future research priorities.
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Affiliation(s)
- James Lok
- Institute of Liver Studies, King's College Hospital, London, SE5 9RS, UK
| | | | - Kosh Agarwal
- Institute of Liver Studies, King's College Hospital, London, SE5 9RS, UK.
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10
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Congly SE, Syed A, Haylock-Jacobs S, Israelson H, Pinto J, Williams S, Lee SS, Coffin CS. A real-world retrospective single-centre study of the cost-effectiveness and long-term outcomes of pegylated interferon for chronic hepatitis B. CANADIAN LIVER JOURNAL 2023; 6:305-313. [PMID: 38020196 PMCID: PMC10652987 DOI: 10.3138/canlivj-2022-0043] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/09/2022] [Accepted: 11/20/2022] [Indexed: 12/01/2023]
Abstract
Background Pegylated interferon (Peg-IFN) is recommended as first-line therapy for chronic hepatitis B (CHB) but has significant side effects and is rarely used compared to oral nucleos(t)ide analogues (NA). There are limited recent clinical efficacy or economic analysis data comparing approved CHB therapy in North America. Methods This retrospective study examined clinical outcomes, off-treatment durability, and cost-effectiveness of Peg-IFN versus NA for CHB. Demographic (age, sex, ethnicity), clinical data (i.e., liver tests, hepatitis B virus DNA, serology, transient elastography) and documented side effects were collected by retrospective chart review of patients followed in the University of Calgary Liver Unit who received Peg-IFN therapy from January 2007 to December 2020. The cost-effectiveness of Peg-IFN versus NA therapy was modelled over a 10-year time horizon. Results Sixty-eight CHB patients were treated with Peg-IFN (median age 45.65, 74% male, 84% Asian); 50/68 (74%) completed 48 weeks of treatment with a median follow-up of 6.54 years (interquartile range 5.07). At the last known follow-up, 23/68 (34%) have not required NA treatment and one had HBsAg loss; 27 have been started on NA. Predictors of obtaining a sustained virological response included being hepatitis B e antigen-negative at treatment end and a quantitative hepatitis B surface antigen <1000 IU/mL. Economic modelling showed that finite Peg-IFN was not cost-effective versus NA at a 10-year time horizon. Conclusions PEG-IFN remains a potential treatment for CHB although there is a significant intolerance/failure rate. Using PEG-IFN based on patient preference is reasonable and optimal patient selection may improve treatment cost-effectiveness.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stephen E Congly
- Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Department of Medicine, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
- O’Brien Institute of Public Health, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
| | - Ahsan Syed
- Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Department of Medicine, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
| | - Sarah Haylock-Jacobs
- Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Department of Medicine, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
| | - Heidi Israelson
- Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Department of Medicine, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
| | - Jacqueline Pinto
- Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Department of Medicine, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
| | - Sarah Williams
- Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Department of Medicine, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
| | - Samuel S Lee
- Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Department of Medicine, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
| | - Carla S Coffin
- Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Department of Medicine, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Infectious Diseases, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
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11
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Lou S, Wang J, Chen J, Xie H, Chen H, Zhou B, Zhang B, Hou J, Jiang DK. The Role of ALPK1 in Inhibiting Hepatitis B Virus Replication Facilitates the Identification of ALPK1 P660L Variant for Predicting Response to Pegylated Interferon α Therapy. J Infect Dis 2023; 228:694-703. [PMID: 36932045 DOI: 10.1093/infdis/jiad065] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/20/2022] [Revised: 03/06/2023] [Accepted: 03/16/2023] [Indexed: 03/19/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Alpha kinase 1 (ALPK1) agonist has recently been reported to demonstrate anti-hepatitis B virus (HBV) efficacy via activating NF-κB signaling, which is crucial for maximizing interferon (IFN) responses. Here, we investigated the impact of ALPK1 on HBV replication and explored ALPK1 variants for predicting the response to pegylated IFN-α (PegIFN-α) treatment. METHODS The potential anti-HBV effect of ALPK1 was evaluated in HBV-integrated and HBV-infected hepatoma cells. The potentially functional genetic variants of ALPK1 were screened out, and their correlations with PegIFN-α treatment response were assessed in 945 hepatitis B e antigen (HBeAg)-positive patients with chronic hepatitis B (CHB). RESULTS We revealed that ALPK1 inhibited HBV replication in hepatocytes via activating the JAK-STAT pathway. ALPK1 overexpression improved the anti-HBV effect of IFN-α in cell models. A missense variant, rs35389530 (P660L), of ALPK1 was strongly associated with combined response (CR; namely, HBeAg seroconversion and HBV DNA level <3.3log10 IU/mL) to PegIFN-α treatment in patients with CHB (P = 2.12 × 10-6). Moreover, a polygenic score integrating ALPK1_rs35389530 and 2 additional genetic variants was further significantly associated with CR (Ptrend = 9.28 × 10-7), hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) level (Ptrend = .0002), and HBsAg loss (Ptrend = .025). CONCLUSIONS The anti-HBV effects of ALPK1 through activating JAK-STAT pathway provides a new perspective for CHB therapy. ALPK1_rs35389530 and polygenic score are potential biomarkers to predict PegIFN-α treatment response and may be used for optimizing CHB treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shuang Lou
- State Key Laboratory of Organ Failure Research, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Viral Hepatitis Research, Guangdong Institute of Liver Diseases, Department of Infectious Diseases and Hepatology Unit, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
- The Key Laboratory of Molecular Pathology (Hepatic Diseases) of Guangxi, Department of Pathology, Affiliated Hospital of Youjiang Medical University for Nationalities, Baise, Guangxi, China
| | - Jialin Wang
- Food Safety and Health Research Center, School of Public Health, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Jiaxuan Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Organ Failure Research, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Viral Hepatitis Research, Guangdong Institute of Liver Diseases, Department of Infectious Diseases and Hepatology Unit, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Haisheng Xie
- State Key Laboratory of Organ Failure Research, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Viral Hepatitis Research, Guangdong Institute of Liver Diseases, Department of Infectious Diseases and Hepatology Unit, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Haitao Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Organ Failure Research, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Viral Hepatitis Research, Guangdong Institute of Liver Diseases, Department of Infectious Diseases and Hepatology Unit, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
- School of Public Health (Shenzhen), Sun Yat-sen University, Shenzhen, China
| | - Bin Zhou
- State Key Laboratory of Organ Failure Research, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Viral Hepatitis Research, Guangdong Institute of Liver Diseases, Department of Infectious Diseases and Hepatology Unit, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Bo Zhang
- Food Safety and Health Research Center, School of Public Health, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Jinlin Hou
- State Key Laboratory of Organ Failure Research, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Viral Hepatitis Research, Guangdong Institute of Liver Diseases, Department of Infectious Diseases and Hepatology Unit, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - De-Ke Jiang
- State Key Laboratory of Organ Failure Research, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Viral Hepatitis Research, Guangdong Institute of Liver Diseases, Department of Infectious Diseases and Hepatology Unit, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
- The Key Laboratory of Molecular Pathology (Hepatic Diseases) of Guangxi, Department of Pathology, Affiliated Hospital of Youjiang Medical University for Nationalities, Baise, Guangxi, China
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12
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Olenginski LT, Attionu SK, Henninger EN, LeBlanc RM, Longhini AP, Dayie TK. Hepatitis B Virus Epsilon (ε) RNA Element: Dynamic Regulator of Viral Replication and Attractive Therapeutic Target. Viruses 2023; 15:1913. [PMID: 37766319 PMCID: PMC10534774 DOI: 10.3390/v15091913] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/01/2023] [Revised: 09/01/2023] [Accepted: 09/05/2023] [Indexed: 09/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Hepatitis B virus (HBV) chronically infects millions of people worldwide, which underscores the importance of discovering and designing novel anti-HBV therapeutics to complement current treatment strategies. An underexploited but attractive therapeutic target is ε, a cis-acting regulatory stem-loop RNA situated within the HBV pregenomic RNA (pgRNA). The binding of ε to the viral polymerase protein (P) is pivotal, as it triggers the packaging of pgRNA and P, as well as the reverse transcription of the viral genome. Consequently, small molecules capable of disrupting this interaction hold the potential to inhibit the early stages of HBV replication. The rational design of such ligands necessitates high-resolution structural information for the ε-P complex or its individual components. While these data are currently unavailable for P, our recent structural elucidation of ε through solution nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy marks a significant advancement in this area. In this review, we provide a brief overview of HBV replication and some of the therapeutic strategies to combat chronic HBV infection. These descriptions are intended to contextualize our recent experimental efforts to characterize ε and identify ε-targeting ligands, with the ultimate goal of developing novel anti-HBV therapeutics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lukasz T. Olenginski
- Center for Biomolecular Structure and Organization, Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20742, USA (R.M.L.)
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO 80309, USA
| | - Solomon K. Attionu
- Center for Biomolecular Structure and Organization, Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20742, USA (R.M.L.)
| | - Erica N. Henninger
- Center for Biomolecular Structure and Organization, Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20742, USA (R.M.L.)
| | - Regan M. LeBlanc
- Center for Biomolecular Structure and Organization, Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20742, USA (R.M.L.)
| | - Andrew P. Longhini
- Center for Biomolecular Structure and Organization, Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20742, USA (R.M.L.)
- Neuroscience Research Institute, University of California, Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA 93106, USA
- Department of Molecular, Cellular and Developmental Biology, University of California, Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA 93106, USA
| | - Theodore K. Dayie
- Center for Biomolecular Structure and Organization, Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20742, USA (R.M.L.)
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13
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Yuen MF, Balabanska R, Cottreel E, Chen E, Duan D, Jiang Q, Patil A, Triyatni M, Upmanyu R, Zhu Y, Canducci F, Gane EJ. TLR7 agonist RO7020531 versus placebo in healthy volunteers and patients with chronic hepatitis B virus infection: a randomised, observer-blind, placebo-controlled, phase 1 trial. THE LANCET. INFECTIOUS DISEASES 2023; 23:496-507. [PMID: 36509100 DOI: 10.1016/s1473-3099(22)00727-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/18/2022] [Revised: 10/14/2022] [Accepted: 10/17/2022] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Toll-like receptor 7 (TLR7) agonists augment immune activity and have potential for the treatment of chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection. We aimed to assess the safety and tolerability of RO7020531 (also called RG7854), a prodrug of the TLR7 agonist RO7011785, in healthy volunteers and patients with chronic HBV infection. METHODS This randomised, observer-blind, placebo-controlled, phase 1 study was done in two parts. Part 1 was done at one site in New Zealand and part 2 was done at 12 sites in Bulgaria, Hong Kong, Italy, New Zealand, the Netherlands, Taiwan, Thailand, and the UK. In part 1, healthy volunteers were randomly assigned (4:1) within one of eight dose cohorts (3 mg, 10 mg, 20 mg, 40 mg, 60 mg, 100 mg, 140 mg, or 170 mg) to receive a single RO7020531 dose or placebo or randomly assigned (4:1) within one of three dose cohorts (100 mg, 140 mg, or 170 mg) to receive either RO7020531 or placebo every other day for 13 days. In part 2, nucleoside or nucleotide analogue-suppressed patients with chronic HBV infection were randomly assigned (4:1) within cohorts 1-3 (150 mg, 150 mg, or 170 mg) to receive either RO7020531 or placebo and treatment-naive patients with chronic HBV infection were randomly assigned (3:1) in cohort 4 to receive either 150 mg of RO7020531 or placebo. Patients were treated every other day for 6 weeks. Study medication was administered orally to participants after they had fasted. Study participants and investigational staff were masked to treatment allocation. The primary outcome was the safety and tolerability of RO7020531, as measured by the incidence and severity of adverse events and the incidence of laboratory, vital sign, and electrocardiogram abnormalities, and was analysed in all participants who received at least one dose of the study medication. This trial is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT02956850, and the study is complete. FINDINGS Between Dec 12, 2016, and March 21, 2021, 340 healthy volunteers were screened in part 1, of whom 80 were randomly assigned in the single ascending dose study (eight assigned RO7020531 in each cohort and 16 assigned placebo) and 30 were randomly assigned in the multiple ascending dose study (eight assigned RO7020531 in each cohort and six assigned placebo), and 110 patients were screened in part 2, of whom 30 were randomly assigned in cohorts 1-3 (16 assigned RO7020531 150 mg, eight assigned RO7020531 170 mg, and six assigned placebo) and 20 were randomly assigned in cohort 4 (15 assigned RO7020531 and five assigned placebo). All randomly assigned participants received at least one dose of a study drug and were included in the safety analysis. All tested doses of RO7020531 were safe and had acceptable tolerability in healthy volunteers and patients. The most frequent treatment-related adverse events among the total study population were headache (15 [9%] of 160 participants), influenza-like illness (seven [4%] of 160 participants), and pyrexia (ten [6%] of 160 participants). Most adverse events were mild and transient. There were no severe or serious adverse events in healthy volunteers. In the patient cohorts, there was one severe adverse event (influenza-like illness with 170 mg of RO7020531) and one serious adverse event (moderate influenza-like illness with a 3-day hospitalisation in a treatment-naive patient receiving RO7020531). There were no treatment-related deaths. INTERPRETATION Due to acceptable safety and tolerability, RO7020531 should continue to be developed for the treatment of patients with chronic HBV infection. FUNDING F Hoffmann-La Roche.
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Affiliation(s)
- Man-Fung Yuen
- Department of Medicine, Queen Mary Hospital, School of Clinical Medicine and State Key Laboratory of Liver Research, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, China
| | - Rozalina Balabanska
- Clinic of Gastroenterology, Acibadem City Clinic Tokuda Hospital, Sofia, Bulgaria
| | - Emmanuelle Cottreel
- Roche Pharma Research and Early Development, Roche Innovation Center, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Ethan Chen
- Roche Pharma Product Development China, Shanghai, China
| | - Dan Duan
- Roche Pharma Research and Early Development, Roche Innovation Center, Shanghai, China
| | - Qiudi Jiang
- Roche Pharma Research and Early Development, Roche Innovation Center, Shanghai, China
| | - Avinash Patil
- Product Development Data Science Department, Roche Products, Welwyn, UK
| | - Miriam Triyatni
- Roche Pharma Research and Early Development, Roche Innovation Center, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Ruchi Upmanyu
- Product Development Data Science Department, Roche Products, Welwyn, UK
| | - Yonghong Zhu
- Roche Pharma Research and Early Development, Roche Innovation Center, Shanghai, China
| | - Filippo Canducci
- Roche Pharma Research and Early Development, Roche Innovation Center, Basel, Switzerland.
| | - Edward J Gane
- Faculty of Medicine, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
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14
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Murata K, Mizokami M. Possible biological mechanisms of entecavir versus tenofovir disoproxil fumarate on reducing the risk of hepatocellular carcinoma. J Gastroenterol Hepatol 2023; 38:683-691. [PMID: 36918402 DOI: 10.1111/jgh.16178] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/05/2023] [Accepted: 03/08/2023] [Indexed: 03/16/2023]
Abstract
Hepatitis B virus (HBV) is a life-threatening infectious virus associated with the risk of liver failure and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Regarding HBV treatment, the recent development of nucleoside/nucleotide analogs (NUC), HBV reverse transcriptase inhibitors, enabled favorable viral control as well as improved prognosis in patients with chronic hepatitis B. However, NUC fails to clear HBV because the formation of covalently closed circular DNA or HBV surface antigen occurs upstream of the point of action of NUC. Recently, we found that acyclic nucleoside phosphonates (ANP) such as adefovir or tenofovir, but not lamivudine or entecavir, induced IFN-λ3 productions in the gastrointestinal tract and modulated lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-mediated cytokine profiles in peripheral blood mononuclear cells, such as interleukin (IL)-12p70 induction and IL-10 inhibition, which are immunologically favorable cytokine profiles for HBV elimination. Furthermore, IFN-α, in combination with ANP, showed additional and synergistic effects on IFN-λ3 and IL-12p70 production, respectively, while not affecting IL-10 levels. Mechanistic analyses of the cytokine modulation by ANP revealed that ANP blocked the mammalian target of the rapamycin (mTOR) pathway by inhibiting Akt translocation to the plasma membrane, thereby inhibiting Akt phosphorylation. As it has been reported that IFN-λ inhibits tumor growth directly or indirectly and the mTOR pathway is generally activated in most cancer cells, ANP might have potential anti-HCC effects. Our in vitro and ex vivo findings might stir the debate on whether types of NUC affect the risk of HBV-related HCC incidence.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kazumoto Murata
- Division of Virology, Department of Infection and Immunity, Jichi Medical University, Shimotsuke, Japan
- Genome Medical Sciences Project, National Center for Global Health and Medicine, Ichikawa, Japan
| | - Masashi Mizokami
- Genome Medical Sciences Project, National Center for Global Health and Medicine, Ichikawa, Japan
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15
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El Messaoudi S, Lemenuel-Diot A, Gonçalves A, Guedj J. A Semi-mechanistic Model to Characterize the Long-Term Dynamics of Hepatitis B Virus Markers During Treatment With Lamivudine and Pegylated Interferon. Clin Pharmacol Ther 2023; 113:390-400. [PMID: 36408671 DOI: 10.1002/cpt.2798] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/25/2022] [Accepted: 11/07/2022] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
Antiviral treatments against hepatitis B virus (HBV) suppress viral replication but do not eradicate the virus, and need therefore to be taken lifelong to avoid relapse. Mathematical models can be useful to support the development of curative anti-HBV agents; however, they mostly focus on short-term HBV DNA data and neglect the complex host-pathogen interaction. This work aimed to characterize the effect of treatment with lamivudine and/or pegylated interferon (Peg-IFN) in 1,300 patients (hepatitis B envelope antigen (HBeAg)-positive and HBeAg-negative) treated for 1 year. A mathematical model was developed incorporating two populations of infected cells, namely I 1 , with a high transcriptional activity, that progressively evolve into I 2 , at a rate δ tr , representing cells with integrated HBV DNA that have a lower transcriptional activity. Parameters of the model were estimated in patients treated with lamivudine or Peg-IFN alone (N = 894), and the model was then validated in patients treated with lamivudine plus Peg-IFN (N = 436) to predict the virological response after a year of combination treatment. Lamivudine had a larger effect in blocking viral production than Peg-IFN (99.4-99.9% vs. 91.8-95.1%); however, Peg-IFN had a significant immunomodulatory effect, leading to an enhancement of the loss rates of I 1 (×1.7 in HBeAg-positive patients), I 2 (> ×7 irrespective of HBeAg status), and δ tr (×4.6 and ×2.0 in HBeAg-positive and HBeAg-negative patients, respectively). Using this model, we were able to describe the synergy of the different effects occurring during treatment with combination and predicted an effect of 99.99% on blocking viral production. This framework can therefore support the optimization of combination therapy with new anti-HBV agents.
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Affiliation(s)
- Selma El Messaoudi
- Université Paris Cité, Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale, Infection, Antimicrobials, Modelling, Evolution, Paris, France
| | - Annabelle Lemenuel-Diot
- Pharmaceutical Sciences, Roche Pharmaceutical Research and Early Development, Roche Innovation Center, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Antonio Gonçalves
- Université Paris Cité, Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale, Infection, Antimicrobials, Modelling, Evolution, Paris, France
| | - Jérémie Guedj
- Université Paris Cité, Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale, Infection, Antimicrobials, Modelling, Evolution, Paris, France
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16
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Yu M, Huang L, Zhang S, Jiang L, Jin Y, Gu M, Liao J, Zhang J. Follow-up value of serum AFP and aminotransferases in chronic hepatitis B progression. Front Cell Infect Microbiol 2023; 13:1082390. [PMID: 36761898 PMCID: PMC9905438 DOI: 10.3389/fcimb.2023.1082390] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/28/2022] [Accepted: 01/10/2023] [Indexed: 01/26/2023] Open
Abstract
Introduction Chronic viral hepatitis (CH) is a stage prior to cirrhosis and primary cancer. Standard protocols for CH assessment during the long follow-up period are of great importance for precise treatment and living quality improvement. In this study, we aimed to analyze multiple serum indexes in chronic hepatitis B (CHB)-infected patients and to discuss their combined values in clinical applications. Methods Total 503 lines of laboratory data from 2012 to 2021 were extracted from103 CHB patients who were followed-up in our hospital. They were divided into the remission group and the progression group according to their complete clinical information and laboratory data. A series of models of serum indexes were analyzed to illustrate the fluctuation trend of @ach index in a time-dependent manner. Results The models revealed that abundant serum alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) in the remission group was characteristically associated with hepatocyte destruction markers aspartate aminotransferase (AST) and alanine aminotransferase and favored a much longer progression-free period (P 0.0001). A model-derived equation consisting of serum AFP and AST values showed a good performance (83% reliability) to distinguish the two groups. Discussion This study clearly demonstrates the intrinsic quantitative relationship between serum AFP and liver aminotransferases involving antivirus treatment response. The model-based equation compensates for serum hepatitis B virus DNA detection during outpatient follow-up and it may serve as a useful laboratory tool for CHB progression assessment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mengyao Yu
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital with Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China,Branch of National Clinical Research Center for Laboratory Medicine, Nanjing, China
| | - Lei Huang
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China
| | - Shichang Zhang
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital with Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China,Branch of National Clinical Research Center for Laboratory Medicine, Nanjing, China
| | - Longfeng Jiang
- Department of Infectious Diseases, The First Affiliated Hospital with Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China
| | - Yuexinzi Jin
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital with Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China,Branch of National Clinical Research Center for Laboratory Medicine, Nanjing, China
| | - Min Gu
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital with Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China,Branch of National Clinical Research Center for Laboratory Medicine, Nanjing, China
| | - Jun Liao
- School of Science, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing, China,*Correspondence: Jiexin Zhang, ; Jun Liao,
| | - Jiexin Zhang
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital with Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China,Branch of National Clinical Research Center for Laboratory Medicine, Nanjing, China,*Correspondence: Jiexin Zhang, ; Jun Liao,
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17
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Yardeni D, Chang KM, Ghany MG. Current Best Practice in Hepatitis B Management and Understanding Long-term Prospects for Cure. Gastroenterology 2023; 164:42-60.e6. [PMID: 36243037 PMCID: PMC9772068 DOI: 10.1053/j.gastro.2022.10.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 18.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/15/2022] [Revised: 09/25/2022] [Accepted: 10/04/2022] [Indexed: 02/03/2023]
Abstract
The hepatitis B virus (HBV) is a major cause of cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma worldwide. Despite an effective vaccine, the prevalence of chronic infection remains high. Current therapy is effective at achieving on-treatment, but not off-treatment, viral suppression. Loss of hepatitis B surface antigen, the best surrogate marker of off-treatment viral suppression, is associated with improved clinical outcomes. Unfortunately, this end point is rarely achieved with current therapy because of their lack of effect on covalently closed circular DNA, the template of viral transcription and genome replication. Major advancements in our understanding of HBV virology along with better understanding of immunopathogenesis have led to the development of a multitude of novel therapeutic approaches with the prospect of achieving functional cure (hepatitis B surface antigen loss) and perhaps complete cure (clearance of covalently closed circular DNA and integrated HBV DNA). This review will cover current best practice for managing chronic HBV infection and emerging novel therapies for HBV infection and their prospect for cure.
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Affiliation(s)
- David Yardeni
- Liver Diseases Branch, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland
| | - Kyong-Mi Chang
- Medical Research, Corporal Michael J. Crescenz Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; Department of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
| | - Marc G Ghany
- Liver Diseases Branch, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland.
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Nakanishi A, Okumura H, Hashita T, Yamashita A, Nishimura Y, Watanabe C, Kamimura S, Hayashi S, Murakami S, Ito K, Iwao T, Ikeda A, Hirose T, Sunazuka T, Tanaka Y, Matsunaga T. Ivermectin Inhibits HBV Entry into the Nucleus by Suppressing KPNA2. Viruses 2022; 14:v14112468. [PMID: 36366568 PMCID: PMC9695645 DOI: 10.3390/v14112468] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/21/2022] [Revised: 10/28/2022] [Accepted: 11/04/2022] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Hepatitis B virus (HBV) specifically infects human hepatocytes and increases the risks of cirrhosis and liver cancer. Currently, nucleic acid analogs are the main therapeutics for chronic hepatitis caused by HBV infection. Although nucleic acid analogs can eliminate HBV DNA by inhibiting HBV reverse transcriptase, they cannot lead to negative conversion of covalently closed circular DNA (cccDNA) and hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg). In this study, we revealed that the antifilarial drug ivermectin suppresses HBV production by a different mechanism from the nucleic acid analog entecavir or Na+ taurocholate co-transporting polypeptide-mediated entry inhibitor cyclosporin A. Ivermectin reduced the levels of several HBV markers, including HBsAg, in HBV-infected human hepatocellular carcinoma cells (HepG2-hNTCP-C4 cells) and humanized mouse hepatocytes (PXB hepatocytes). In addition, ivermectin significantly decreased the expression of HBV core protein and the nuclear transporter karyopherin α2 (KPNA2) in the nuclei of HepG2-hNTCP-C4 cells. Furthermore, depletion of KPNA1-6 suppressed the production of cccDNA. These results suggest that KPNA1-6 is involved in the nuclear import of HBV and that ivermectin suppresses the nuclear import of HBV by inhibiting KPNA2. This study demonstrates the potential of ivermectin as a novel treatment for hepatitis B.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna Nakanishi
- Department of Clinical Pharmacy, Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Nagoya City University, Nagoya 467-8603, Japan
| | - Hiroki Okumura
- Department of Clinical Pharmacy, Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Nagoya City University, Nagoya 467-8603, Japan
| | - Tadahiro Hashita
- Department of Clinical Pharmacy, Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Nagoya City University, Nagoya 467-8603, Japan
- Educational Research Center for Clinical Pharmacy, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Nagoya City University, Nagoya 467-8603, Japan
- Correspondence: (T.H.); (Y.T.)
| | - Aya Yamashita
- Educational Research Center for Clinical Pharmacy, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Nagoya City University, Nagoya 467-8603, Japan
| | - Yuka Nishimura
- Educational Research Center for Clinical Pharmacy, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Nagoya City University, Nagoya 467-8603, Japan
| | - Chihiro Watanabe
- Educational Research Center for Clinical Pharmacy, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Nagoya City University, Nagoya 467-8603, Japan
| | - Sakina Kamimura
- Educational Research Center for Clinical Pharmacy, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Nagoya City University, Nagoya 467-8603, Japan
| | - Sanae Hayashi
- Department of Virology and Liver Unit, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Nagoya City University, Nagoya 467-8601, Japan
- Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Kumamoto University, Kumamoto 860-8556, Japan
| | - Shuko Murakami
- Department of Virology and Liver Unit, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Nagoya City University, Nagoya 467-8601, Japan
| | - Kyoko Ito
- Department of Virology and Liver Unit, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Nagoya City University, Nagoya 467-8601, Japan
| | - Takahiro Iwao
- Department of Clinical Pharmacy, Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Nagoya City University, Nagoya 467-8603, Japan
- Educational Research Center for Clinical Pharmacy, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Nagoya City University, Nagoya 467-8603, Japan
| | - Akari Ikeda
- Ōmura Satoshi Memorial Institute, Graduate School of Infection Control Sciences, Kitasato University, Tokyo 108-8641, Japan
| | - Tomoyasu Hirose
- Ōmura Satoshi Memorial Institute, Graduate School of Infection Control Sciences, Kitasato University, Tokyo 108-8641, Japan
| | - Toshiaki Sunazuka
- Ōmura Satoshi Memorial Institute, Graduate School of Infection Control Sciences, Kitasato University, Tokyo 108-8641, Japan
| | - Yasuhito Tanaka
- Department of Virology and Liver Unit, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Nagoya City University, Nagoya 467-8601, Japan
- Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Kumamoto University, Kumamoto 860-8556, Japan
- Correspondence: (T.H.); (Y.T.)
| | - Tamihide Matsunaga
- Department of Clinical Pharmacy, Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Nagoya City University, Nagoya 467-8603, Japan
- Educational Research Center for Clinical Pharmacy, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Nagoya City University, Nagoya 467-8603, Japan
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Umemura M, Ogawa K, Morikawa K, Kubo A, Tokuchi Y, Yamada R, Kitagataya T, Shigesawa T, Shimazaki T, Kimura M, Suzuki K, Nakamura A, Ohara M, Kawagishi N, Izumi T, Nakai M, Sho T, Suda G, Natsuizaka M, Ono K, Murata K, Sugiyama M, Mizokami M, Sakamoto N. Effects of nucleos(t)ide analogs on hepatitis B surface antigen reduction with interferon-lambda 3 induction in chronic hepatitis B patients. Hepatol Res 2022; 52:586-596. [PMID: 35352445 DOI: 10.1111/hepr.13768] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/18/2021] [Revised: 03/22/2022] [Accepted: 03/26/2022] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND & AIMS Benefits of nucleos(t)ide analogs (NAs) on hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) reduction and interferon-lambda3 (IFN-λ3) induction are still not known. This study aimed to investigate the effects of NAs on HBsAg reduction and association with serum IFN-λ3 levels in chronic hepatitis B (CHB) patients. METHODS A total of 91 patients [51 treated with nucleoside analog entecavir hydrate (ETV) and 40 treated with nucleotide analog adefovir dipivoxil (ADV) or tenofovir disoproxil fumarate (TDF)] with clinically evident CHB (chronic hepatitis, 57; liver cirrhosis, 34) were enrolled in this study. Serum IFN-λ3 levels among patients receiving ETV and ADV/TDF were measured before the initiation of therapy and 1, 3, and 5 years post-therapy. RESULTS The change (mean ± standard deviation) in serum HBsAg levels from baseline to year five was -0.38 ± 0.46 and -0.84 ± 0.64 log10 IU/ml in ETV and ADV/TDF groups, respectively (p = 0.0004). Higher serum IFN-λ3 levels were observed in ADV/TDF group compared with ETV group during treatment (p < 0.001). Serum IFN-λ3 levels showed negative correlation with HBsAg reduction in ADV/TDF group (r = -0.386, p = 0.038) at week 48. Nucleotide analogs (ADV/TDF) treatment has associated factors with -0.3 log HBsAg decline at 1 year, -0.5 log HBsAg decline at 3 years, and -0.8 log HBsAg decline at 5 years after NAs treatment on multivariate analysis. CONCLUSIONS Nucleotide analog (ADV/TDF) treatment reduced HBsAg levels greater compared with nucleoside analog (ETV) in parallel with IFN-λ3 induction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Machiko Umemura
- Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Hokkaido University Faculty of Medicine and Graduate School of Medicine, Sapporo, Japan
| | - Koji Ogawa
- Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Hokkaido University Faculty of Medicine and Graduate School of Medicine, Sapporo, Japan
| | - Kenichi Morikawa
- Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Hokkaido University Faculty of Medicine and Graduate School of Medicine, Sapporo, Japan
| | - Akinori Kubo
- Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Hokkaido University Faculty of Medicine and Graduate School of Medicine, Sapporo, Japan
| | - Yoshimasa Tokuchi
- Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Hokkaido University Faculty of Medicine and Graduate School of Medicine, Sapporo, Japan
| | - Ren Yamada
- Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Hokkaido University Faculty of Medicine and Graduate School of Medicine, Sapporo, Japan
| | - Takashi Kitagataya
- Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Hokkaido University Faculty of Medicine and Graduate School of Medicine, Sapporo, Japan
| | - Taku Shigesawa
- Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Hokkaido University Faculty of Medicine and Graduate School of Medicine, Sapporo, Japan
| | - Tomoe Shimazaki
- Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Hokkaido University Faculty of Medicine and Graduate School of Medicine, Sapporo, Japan
| | - Megumi Kimura
- Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Hokkaido University Faculty of Medicine and Graduate School of Medicine, Sapporo, Japan
| | - Kazuharu Suzuki
- Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Hokkaido University Faculty of Medicine and Graduate School of Medicine, Sapporo, Japan
| | - Akihisa Nakamura
- Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Hokkaido University Faculty of Medicine and Graduate School of Medicine, Sapporo, Japan
| | - Masatsugu Ohara
- Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Hokkaido University Faculty of Medicine and Graduate School of Medicine, Sapporo, Japan
| | - Naoki Kawagishi
- Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Hokkaido University Faculty of Medicine and Graduate School of Medicine, Sapporo, Japan
| | - Takaaki Izumi
- Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Hokkaido University Faculty of Medicine and Graduate School of Medicine, Sapporo, Japan
| | - Masato Nakai
- Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Hokkaido University Faculty of Medicine and Graduate School of Medicine, Sapporo, Japan
| | - Takuya Sho
- Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Hokkaido University Faculty of Medicine and Graduate School of Medicine, Sapporo, Japan
| | - Goki Suda
- Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Hokkaido University Faculty of Medicine and Graduate School of Medicine, Sapporo, Japan
| | - Mitsuteru Natsuizaka
- Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Hokkaido University Faculty of Medicine and Graduate School of Medicine, Sapporo, Japan
| | - Kota Ono
- Clinical Research and Medical Innovation Center, Hokkaido University Hospital, Sapporo, Japan
| | - Kazumoto Murata
- Division of Virology, Department of Infection and Immunity, Jichi Medical University, Shimotsuke, Japan
| | - Masaya Sugiyama
- The Research Center for Hepatitis and Immunology, National Center for Global Health and Medicine, Ichikawa, Japan
| | - Masashi Mizokami
- The Research Center for Hepatitis and Immunology, National Center for Global Health and Medicine, Ichikawa, Japan
| | - Naoya Sakamoto
- Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Hokkaido University Faculty of Medicine and Graduate School of Medicine, Sapporo, Japan
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20
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Fung S, Choi HSJ, Gehring A, Janssen HLA. Getting to HBV cure: The promising paths forward. Hepatology 2022; 76:233-250. [PMID: 34990029 DOI: 10.1002/hep.32314] [Citation(s) in RCA: 72] [Impact Index Per Article: 36.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/03/2021] [Revised: 12/17/2021] [Accepted: 12/19/2021] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
Chronic HBV infection is a global public health burden estimated to impact nearly 300 million persons worldwide. Despite the advent of potent antiviral agents that effectively suppress viral replication, HBV cure remains difficult to achieve because of the persistence of covalently closed circular DNA (cccDNA), HBV-DNA integration into the host genome, and impaired immune response. Indefinite treatment is necessary for most patients to maintain level of viral suppression. The success of direct-acting antivirals (DAAs) for hepatitis C treatment has rejuvenated the search for a cure for chronic hepatitis B (CHB), though an HBV cure likely requires an additional layer: immunomodulators for restoration of robust immune responses. DAAs such as entry inhibitors, capsid assembly modulators, inhibitors of subviral particle release, cccDNA silencers, and RNA interference molecules have reached clinical development. Immunomodulators, namely innate immunomodulators (Toll-like receptor agonists), therapeutic vaccines, checkpoint inhibitors, and monoclonal antibodies, are also progressing toward clinical development. The future of the HBV cure possibly lies in triple combination therapies with concerted action on replication inhibition, antigen reduction, and immune stimulation. Many obstacles remain, such as overcoming translational failures, choosing the right endpoint using the right biomarkers, and leveraging current treatments in combination regimens to enhance response rates. This review gives an overview of the current therapies for CHB, HBV biomarkers used to evaluate treatment response, and development of DAAs and immune-targeting drugs and discusses the limitations and unanswered questions on the journey to an HBV cure.
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Affiliation(s)
- Scott Fung
- Toronto Centre for Liver Disease, Toronto General Hospital, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Hannah S J Choi
- Toronto Centre for Liver Disease, Toronto General Hospital, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Adam Gehring
- Toronto Centre for Liver Disease, Toronto General Hospital, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Harry L A Janssen
- Toronto Centre for Liver Disease, Toronto General Hospital, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
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21
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Broquetas T, Carrión JA. Current Perspectives on Nucleos(t)ide Analogue Therapy for the Long-Term Treatment of Hepatitis B Virus. Hepat Med 2022; 14:87-100. [PMID: 35936810 PMCID: PMC9346298 DOI: 10.2147/hmer.s291976] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/28/2022] [Accepted: 07/12/2022] [Indexed: 01/27/2023] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Teresa Broquetas
- Liver Section, Gastroenterology Department, Hospital del Mar, Barcelona, Spain
- IMIM (Hospital del Mar Medical Research Institute), Barcelona, Spain
| | - José A Carrión
- Liver Section, Gastroenterology Department, Hospital del Mar, Barcelona, Spain
- IMIM (Hospital del Mar Medical Research Institute), Barcelona, Spain
- Department of Medicine and Life Sciences, Universitat Pompeu Fabra, Barcelona, Spain
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22
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Loukachov VV, van Dort KA, Maurer I, Takkenberg RB, de Niet A, Reesink HW, Willemse SB, Kootstra NA. Identification of Liver and Plasma microRNAs in Chronic Hepatitis B Virus infection. Front Cell Infect Microbiol 2022; 12:790964. [PMID: 35719345 PMCID: PMC9201251 DOI: 10.3389/fcimb.2022.790964] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/07/2021] [Accepted: 04/25/2022] [Indexed: 01/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Background and Aims With current standard of care a functional cure for Chronic Hepatitis B (CHB) is only achieved in 1-3% of patients and therefore novel therapies are needed. Disease activity during CHB can be determined by a broad range of virological biomarkers, however these biomarkers are also targets for novel treatment strategies. The aim of this study was to identify novel miRNAs that are differentially expressed in plasma and liver in CHB, and determine whether these miRNAs may serve as biomarkers of disease stage or treatment outcome. Methods miRNA Next-Generation-Sequencing of plasma and liver samples from CHB patient and controls was performed to identify differentially expressed miRNAs. The identified candidate miRNAs were validated by qPCR in additional plasma and liver samples from two CHB cohorts. Results Several miRNAs in plasma and liver were found to be differentially expressed between CHB patients and controls. Of the identified miRNAs expression levels of miR-122-5p in plasma were associated with plasma HBsAg, and plasma and liver HBV-DNA levels. Expression levels of miR-223-3p, miR-144-5p and miR-133a-3p in liver were associated with plasma alanine aminotransferase levels. No correlation was observed between miRNA expression levels at baseline and treatment outcome. Conclusions Limited overlap between plasma and liver miRNAs was found, indicating that plasma miRNAs could be useful as biomarkers for treatment outcome or viral activity during treatment. Whereas liver miRNAs are more likely to be regulated by HBV and could be potential therapeutic targets to control viral activity in liver.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vladimir V. Loukachov
- Experimental Immunology, Amsterdam University Medical Centers, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, Netherlands
- Amsterdam Institute for Infection and Immunity, Infectious Diseases, Amsterdam, Netherlands
| | - Karel A. van Dort
- Experimental Immunology, Amsterdam University Medical Centers, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, Netherlands
- Amsterdam Institute for Infection and Immunity, Infectious Diseases, Amsterdam, Netherlands
| | - Irma Maurer
- Experimental Immunology, Amsterdam University Medical Centers, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, Netherlands
- Amsterdam Institute for Infection and Immunity, Infectious Diseases, Amsterdam, Netherlands
| | - R. Bart Takkenberg
- Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Amsterdam University Medical Centers , University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, Netherlands
| | - Anniki de Niet
- Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Amsterdam University Medical Centers , University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, Netherlands
| | - Henk W. Reesink
- Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Leids University Medical Center, Leiden, Netherlands
| | - Sophie B. Willemse
- Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Amsterdam University Medical Centers , University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, Netherlands
| | - Neeltje A. Kootstra
- Experimental Immunology, Amsterdam University Medical Centers, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, Netherlands
- Amsterdam Institute for Infection and Immunity, Infectious Diseases, Amsterdam, Netherlands
- *Correspondence: Neeltje A. Kootstra,
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23
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KASL clinical practice guidelines for management of chronic hepatitis B. Clin Mol Hepatol 2022; 28:276-331. [PMID: 35430783 PMCID: PMC9013624 DOI: 10.3350/cmh.2022.0084] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 20.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/31/2022] [Accepted: 04/01/2022] [Indexed: 01/10/2023] Open
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24
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Nagra N, Kozarek RA, Burman BE. Therapeutic Advances in Viral Hepatitis A-E. Adv Ther 2022; 39:1524-1552. [PMID: 35220557 DOI: 10.1007/s12325-022-02070-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/16/2021] [Accepted: 01/31/2022] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
Viral hepatitis remains a significant global health problem. All forms of viral hepatitis A through E (A-E) can lead to acute symptomatic infection, while hepatitis B and C can lead to chronic infection associated with significant morbidity and mortality related to progression to cirrhosis, end-stage-liver disease, and liver cancer. Viral hepatitis occurs worldwide, though certain regions are disproportionately affected. We now, remarkably, have highly effective curative regimens for hepatitis C, and safe and tolerable medications to suppress hepatitis B activity, and to prevent liver damage and slow disease progression. We have effective vaccines for hepatitis A and B which provide long-lasting immunity, while improved sanitation and awareness can curb outbreaks of hepatitis A and E. However, more effective and available preventive and curative strategies are needed to achieve global eradication of viral hepatitis. This review provides an overview of the epidemiology, transmission, diagnosis, and clinical features of each viral hepatitis with a primary focus on current and future therapeutic and curative options.
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Affiliation(s)
- Navroop Nagra
- Department of Gastroenterology, University of Louisville, Louisville, KY, 40202, USA
| | - Richard A Kozarek
- Center for Digestive Health, Virginia Mason Franciscan Health, 1100 9th Ave., Seattle, WA, 98101, USA
| | - Blaire E Burman
- Center for Digestive Health, Virginia Mason Franciscan Health, 1100 9th Ave., Seattle, WA, 98101, USA.
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25
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Yardeni D, Ghany MG. Review article: hepatitis B-current and emerging therapies. Aliment Pharmacol Ther 2022; 55:805-819. [PMID: 35224760 DOI: 10.1111/apt.16828] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/08/2022] [Revised: 01/17/2022] [Accepted: 02/04/2022] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The hepatitis B virus (HBV) affects an estimated 290 million individuals worldwide and is responsible for approximately 900 000 deaths annually, mostly from complications of cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma. Although current treatment is effective at preventing complications of chronic hepatitis B, it is not curative, and often must be administered long term. There is a need for safe, effective, finite duration curative therapy. AIM Our aim was to provide a concise, up to date review of all currently available and emerging treatment options for chronic hepatitis B. METHODS We conducted a search of PubMed, clinicaltrials.gov, major meeting abstracts and pharmaceutical websites for publications and communications on current and emerging therapies for HBV. RESULTS Currently approved treatment options for chronic hepatitis B include peginterferon alpha-2a and nucleos(t)ide analogues. Both options do not offer a 'complete cure' (clearance of covalently closed circular DNA (cccDNA) and integrated HBV DNA) and rarely achieve a 'functional cure' (hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) loss). An improved understanding of the viral lifecycle, immunopathogenesis and recent advances in drug delivery technologies have led to many novel therapeutic approaches that are currently being evaluated in clinical trials including targeting of viral entry, cccDNA, viral transcription, core protein, and release of HBsAg and HBV polymerase. Additionally, novel immunological approaches that include targeting the innate and adaptive immune system and therapeutic vaccination are being pursued. CONCLUSION The breadth and scope of novel therapies in development hold promise for regimen/s that will achieve functional cure.
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Affiliation(s)
- David Yardeni
- Liver Diseases Branch, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Marc G Ghany
- Liver Diseases Branch, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
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26
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Zhou L, He Q, Liu X, Yang X, Ou X, Situ B, Li Y, Pan X, Xu Q. Follow-Up of 108 Patients with Chronic Hepatitis B Virus Infection Treated with Polyethylene Glycol-Conjugated Derivatives of Interferon-Alpha and Monitoring of Off-Treatment Virological Relapse. Med Sci Monit 2022; 28:e934785. [PMID: 35351845 PMCID: PMC8978592 DOI: 10.12659/msm.934785] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/14/2021] [Accepted: 01/09/2022] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND This single center study, which enrolled 108 patients with chronic hepatitis B virus infection treated with pegylated interferon-alpha (PEG-IFN-alpha), aimed to follow up and monitor off-treatment responses, including virological relapse, and analyze predictors of long-term efficacy of the PEG-IFN-alpha regimen. MATERIAL AND METHODS In total, 108 hepatitis B e antigen (HBeAg)-positive patients with chronic hepatitis B who had completed the PEG-IFN-alpha regimen and achieved virological suppression were enrolled. The patients were followed up for 5 years to monitor off-treatment responses. Twenty-eight relevant factors, including the history of antiviral therapy and HBeAg seroconversion, were analyzed using the Cox proportional hazards regression model. RESULTS The cumulative rates of virological suppression were 75.70%, 68.68%, 65.25%, 63.91%, and 63.91% at 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5 years of the follow-up period, respectively. Compared with the rates of virological suppression, the cumulative rates of clinical suppression were 88.41%, 79.83%, 78.59%, 75.65%, and 75.65%, respectively, for the 5 years. Alanine aminotransferase (ALT) normalization at 24 weeks after off-therapy (relative risk [RR]=3.430, P=0.013) was a potential predictor for sustained virological suppression, and the history of anti-viral therapy (RR=0.164, P=0.004), quantitative value of hepatitis B virus surface antigen (HBsAg) at 48 weeks of anti-viral therapy (RR=2.697, P=0.039), and ALT normalization at 24 weeks after off-therapy (RR=5.467, P=0.004) were potential predictors for sustained clinical suppression. CONCLUSIONS Our results suggested that increased HBsAg levels at 48 weeks and normalization of ALT at 24 weeks after off-therapy might be predictive factors for long-term treatment efficacy.[color=red] [/color].
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Affiliation(s)
- Liyang Zhou
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Third Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, PR China
| | - Qin He
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Third Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, PR China
| | - Xitao Liu
- Clinical Research Management Office, Third Affiliated Hospital, Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, PR China
| | - Xiaoan Yang
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Third Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, PR China
| | - Xueting Ou
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Third Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, PR China
| | - Bing Situ
- Clinical Research Management Office, Third Affiliated Hospital, Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, PR China
| | - Yueping Li
- Intensive Care Unit of Infectious Diseases, Guangzhou Eighth People’s Hospital, Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, PR China
| | - Xingfei Pan
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Third Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, PR China
| | - Qihuan Xu
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Third Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, PR China
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27
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Current Trend in Antiviral Therapy for Chronic Hepatitis B. Viruses 2022; 14:v14020434. [PMID: 35216027 PMCID: PMC8877417 DOI: 10.3390/v14020434] [Citation(s) in RCA: 55] [Impact Index Per Article: 27.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/12/2022] [Revised: 02/13/2022] [Accepted: 02/16/2022] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Since active hepatitis B virus (HBV) replication is the key driver of hepatic necroinflammation and disease progression, the treatment aim of chronic hepatitis B (CHB) is to suppress HBV replication permanently to prevent hepatic decompensation, liver cirrhosis and/or hepatocellular carcinoma and prolong survival. Currently, pegylated interferon (Peg-IFN), entecavir (ETV), tenofovir disoproxil fumarate (TDF) and tenofovir alafenamide (TAF) are the first-line drugs of choice. Peg-IFN therapy has been used rarely due to its subcutaneous injection and significant side effect profile. Once daily oral ETV, TDF and TAF can suppress HBV DNA profoundly but have no direct action on cccDNA of the HBV-infected hepatocytes, hence continuing long-term therapy is usually needed to maintain HBV suppression, but the ultimate goal of HBsAg loss was rarely achieved (10 year 2%). In addition, long-term NUC therapy comes with several concerns such as increasing cost, medication adherence and loss-to-follow-up. Studies, mainly from Taiwan, have shown that finite NUCs therapy of two to three years in HBeAg-negative patients is feasible, safe and has a great benefit of much increasing HBsAg loss rate up to 30%/5 year. These have led an emerging paradigm shift to finite NUC therapy in HBeAg-negative patients globally. However, off-NUC relapse with hepatitis B flares may occur and have a risk of decompensation or even life-threatening outcomes. Therefore, proper monitoring, assessment, and retreatment decisions are crucial to ensure safety. Ideally, retreatment should be not too late to ensure safety and also not too early to allow further immune response for further HBsAg decline toward HBsAg loss. Assessment using combined HBsAg/ALT kinetics during hepatitis flare is better than biochemical markers alone to make a right retreatment decision. The strategy of finite NUC therapy has set a benchmark of high HBsAg loss rate to be achieved by the new anti-HBV drugs which are under preclinical or early phase study.
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28
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Chang ML, Liaw YF. Hepatitis B Flare in Hepatitis B e Antigen-Negative Patients: A Complicated Cascade of Innate and Adaptive Immune Responses. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:ijms23031552. [PMID: 35163476 PMCID: PMC8836007 DOI: 10.3390/ijms23031552] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/15/2021] [Revised: 01/19/2022] [Accepted: 01/26/2022] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection is a dynamic process involving interactions among HBV, hepatocytes, and the host immune system. The natural course of chronic hepatitis B (CHB) is divided into four chronological phases, including the hepatitis B e antigen (HBeAg)-positive and HBeAg-negative phases. During HBV flare, alanine aminotransferase (ALT) levels abruptly rise to >5× the upper limit of normal; this is thought to occur due to the immune response against an upsurge in serum HBV DNA and antigen levels. Hepatitis flares may occur spontaneously, during or after antiviral therapy, or upon immunosuppression or chemotherapy in both HBeAg-positive and HBeAg-negative patients. The clinical spectrum of HBV flares varies from asymptomatic to hepatic decompensation or failure. HBeAg seroconversion with ≥ 1 year of consolidation therapy is accepted as an endpoint of oral antiviral therapy in HBeAg-positive patients, but recommendations for treating HBeAg-negative patients differ. Thus, the management of HBeAg-negative patients has attracted increasing interest. In the current review, we summarize various types of HBV flares and the associated complex cascade of innate and adaptive immune responses, with a focus on HBeAg-negative CHB patients. Hopefully, this review will provide insight into immunopathogenesis to improve the management of HBV flares in HBeAg-negative CHB patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ming-Ling Chang
- College of Medicine, Chang Gung University, Taoyuan 333323, Taiwan;
- Division of Hepatology, Department of Hepatogastroenterology, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Taoyuan 333423, Taiwan
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +886-3-3281200 (ext. 8107); Fax: +886-3-3272236
| | - Yun-Fan Liaw
- College of Medicine, Chang Gung University, Taoyuan 333323, Taiwan;
- Division of Hepatology, Department of Hepatogastroenterology, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Taoyuan 333423, Taiwan
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Kim SW, Yoon JS, Lee M, Cho Y. Toward a complete cure for chronic hepatitis B: Novel therapeutic targets for hepatitis B virus. Clin Mol Hepatol 2022; 28:17-30. [PMID: 34281294 PMCID: PMC8755466 DOI: 10.3350/cmh.2021.0093] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/26/2021] [Revised: 07/05/2021] [Accepted: 07/18/2021] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Hepatitis B virus (HBV) affects approximately 250 million patients worldwide, resulting in the progression to cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma, which are serious public health problems. Although universal vaccination programs exist, they are only prophylactic and not curative. In the HBV life cycle, HBV forms covalently closed circular DNA (cccDNA), which is the viral minichromosome, in the nuclei of human hepatocytes and makes it difficult to achieve a complete cure with the current nucleos(t)ide analogs and interferon therapies. Current antiviral therapies rarely eliminate cccDNA; therefore, lifelong antiviral treatment is necessary. Recent trials for antiviral treatment of chronic hepatitis B have been focused on establishing a functional cure, defined by either the loss of hepatitis B surface antigen, undetectable serum HBV DNA levels, and/or seroconversion to hepatitis B surface antibody. Novel therapeutic targets and molecules are in the pipeline for early clinical trials aiming to cure HBV infection. The ideal strategy for achieving a long-lasting functional or complete cure might be using combination therapies targeting different steps of the HBV life cycle and immunomodulators. This review summarizes the current knowledge about novel treatments and combination treatments for a complete HBV cure.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sun Woong Kim
- Department of Internal Medicine, CHA Gangnam Medical Center, CHA University School of Medicine, Seoul, Korea
| | - Jun Sik Yoon
- Department of Internal Medicine, Busan Paik Hospital, Inje University College of Medicine, Busan, Korea
| | - Minjong Lee
- Department of Internal Medicine, Ewha Womans University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea
| | - Yuri Cho
- Center for Liver and Pancreatobiliary Cancer, National Cancer Center, Goyang, Korea
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Charatcharoenwitthaya P, Kaewdech A, Piratvisuth T. Controversies in Treating Chronic HBV: The Role of PEG-interferon-alfa. Clin Liver Dis 2021; 25:741-762. [PMID: 34593151 DOI: 10.1016/j.cld.2021.06.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Pegylated interferon-alpha therapy is one of the first-line chronic hepatitis B treatment. Finite treatment duration, absence of drug resistance, delayed response, and higher hepatitis B surface antigen loss than nucleos(t)ides analog therapy are the advantages of pegylated interferon-alpha treatment. Common side effects and subcutaneous injections requirement limit its use. Identifying patients likely to respond to pegylated interferon-alpha and optimizing treatment is reasonable. Motivating patients to complete the 48-week treatment is necessary. Treatment is stopped or switched to other treatment strategies in patients with stopping rule criteria. Combination therapy with nucleos(t)ides analog may improve response, but remains controversial.
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Affiliation(s)
- Phunchai Charatcharoenwitthaya
- Gastroenterology Division, Department of Internal Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Siriraj Hospital, Mahidol University, Wang-Lang Road, Bangkok 10700, Thailand
| | - Apichat Kaewdech
- Gastroenterology and Hepatology Unit, Department of Internal Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Prince of Songkla University, Kanchanawanich Road, Songkhla 90110, Thailand
| | - Teerha Piratvisuth
- Gastroenterology and Hepatology Unit, Department of Internal Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Prince of Songkla University, Kanchanawanich Road, Songkhla 90110, Thailand; NKC Institute of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Songklanagarind Hospital, Prince of Songkla University, Kanchanawanich Road, Songkhla 90110, Thailand.
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31
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Gara N, Tana MM, Kattapuram M, Auh S, Sullivan L, Fryzek N, Walter M, Umarova R, Zhao X, Cloherty G, Doo E, Heller T, Liang TJ, Ghany MG. Prospective Study of Withdrawal of Antiviral Therapy in Patients with Chronic Hepatitis B after Prolonged Virological Response. Hepatol Commun 2021; 5:1888-1900. [PMID: 34558806 PMCID: PMC8557321 DOI: 10.1002/hep4.1761] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/04/2021] [Revised: 04/17/2021] [Accepted: 04/25/2021] [Indexed: 01/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Nucleoside analogue (NA) therapy for chronic hepatitis B (CHB) is associated with improved clinical outcomes, but usually requires long-term use. Whether treatment can be safely withdrawn and the factors associated with post-withdrawal outcome are not well defined. To assess long-term outcomes after stopping antiviral therapy, patients with hepatitis B e antigen (HBeAg)-negative CHB who had received antiviral therapy for 4 or more years with hepatitis B virus (HBV) DNA (≤100 IU/mL) were prospectively withdrawn from antiviral therapy and monitored monthly for the initial 6 months and every 3 months thereafter. Those with clinical relapse were retreated according to severity of relapse. Fifteen patients were withdrawn from lamivudine (4), adefovir (5), or a combination of the two (6) after a mean treatment duration of 8.4 years. The mean age was 45 years, 13 were male, and 8 were initially HBeAg-positive before treatment. After a mean follow-up of 6.6 years, outcomes differed by pretreatment HBeAg status. All patients who were HBeAg+ before treatment experienced virological relapse (8 of 8); 6 of 8 experienced clinical relapse; 4 of 8 had ALT flares; 5 of 8 required re-initiation of treatment, one of whom cleared hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg); and 3 of 8 remained off treatment, one of whom cleared HBsAg. In contrast, 4 of 7 patients who were HBeAg-negative before treatment experienced virological relapse, 3 of 7 experienced clinical relapse, and 1 of 7 had an alanine aminotransferase (ALT) flare. None restarted treatment, and 4 of 7 cleared HBsAg. Low pre-withdrawal HBsAg level was predictive of HBsAg loss. Conclusion: NA therapy can be safely withdrawn with long-term remission and high rates of HBsAg loss in most HBeAg-negative patients without cirrhosis. Patients who were initially HBeAg+ should not be withdrawn from treatment, because clinical relapse was frequent and often severe.
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Affiliation(s)
- Naveen Gara
- Gastroenterology & Liver InstituteEscondidoCAUSA
| | - Michele M Tana
- University of California San Francisco School of MedicineSan FranciscoCAUSA
| | - Meera Kattapuram
- Liver Diseases BranchNational Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney DiseasesNational Institutes of HealthBethesdaMDUSA
| | - Sungyoung Auh
- Clinical CoreNational Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney DiseasesNational Institutes of HealthBethesdaMDUSA
| | - Lauren Sullivan
- Liver Diseases BranchNational Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney DiseasesNational Institutes of HealthBethesdaMDUSA
| | - Nancy Fryzek
- Liver Diseases BranchNational Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney DiseasesNational Institutes of HealthBethesdaMDUSA
| | - Mary Walter
- Clinical CoreNational Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney DiseasesNational Institutes of HealthBethesdaMDUSA
| | - Regina Umarova
- Liver Diseases BranchNational Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney DiseasesNational Institutes of HealthBethesdaMDUSA
| | - Xiongce Zhao
- Office of the DirectorNational Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney DiseasesNational Institutes of HealthBethesdaMDUSA
| | | | - Edward Doo
- Liver Diseases BranchNational Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney DiseasesNational Institutes of HealthBethesdaMDUSA
| | - Theo Heller
- Liver Diseases BranchNational Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney DiseasesNational Institutes of HealthBethesdaMDUSA
| | - T Jake Liang
- Liver Diseases BranchNational Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney DiseasesNational Institutes of HealthBethesdaMDUSA
| | - Marc G Ghany
- Liver Diseases BranchNational Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney DiseasesNational Institutes of HealthBethesdaMDUSA
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Sugi K, Nakata A, Ishii S, Matsuyama T. International cooperation on health and medical care for viral hepatitis: 30 years of activities on comprehensive viral hepatitis control of the JICA group training program for developing countries. Glob Health Med 2021; 3:351-355. [PMID: 34782879 DOI: 10.35772/ghm.2021.01068] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/07/2021] [Revised: 07/19/2021] [Accepted: 09/02/2021] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
The National Hospital Organization Kumamoto Medical Center has conducted a group training course for health care workers (HCW) from developing countries on viral hepatitis and its related diseases in cooperation with the Japan International Cooperation Agency, for 30 years. In the first 10 years, the course included acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS), adult T-cell leukemia/lymphoma (ATL), and hepatitis. Following the discovery of the hepatitis C virus and the genotype of the hepatitis B virus, and development of treatments for hepatitis, viral-related cirrhosis, and cancer, the course was divided into two courses. In 2015, the hepatitis training course was renewed as the "Comprehensive Countermeasure for Virus Hepatitis", which ended its role in February 2018. Between 1998 and 2017, 175 HCW from 43 countries, including 36 participants from Egypt, participated. Between October 11 and 20, 2019, we conducted a follow-up survey of the results of the training and conducted a field visit on hepatitis control in Egypt.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kazuhiro Sugi
- Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, National Hospital Organization Kumamoto Medical Center, Kumamoto, Japan
| | - Akinori Nakata
- Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, National Hospital Organization Kumamoto Medical Center, Kumamoto, Japan
| | - Shotaro Ishii
- Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, National Hospital Organization Kumamoto Medical Center, Kumamoto, Japan
| | - Taichi Matsuyama
- Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, National Hospital Organization Kumamoto Medical Center, Kumamoto, Japan
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Cheng K, Chen Y, Wang X, Xu M, Liao W, Duan X, Zhao X, Sun Y, Duan Z, Wang L. Entecavir combined with interferon-α is superior to entecavir monotherapy in reducing hepatic and extrahepatic cancer in patients with chronic hepatitis B. Cancer 2021; 128:558-569. [PMID: 34623636 DOI: 10.1002/cncr.33949] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/13/2021] [Revised: 08/30/2021] [Accepted: 09/07/2021] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The objective of this study was to assess whether entecavir (ETV) in combination with interferon-α (IFN-α) could reduce hepatocellular cancer (HCC) and extrahepatic cancers (EHCs) in patients with chronic hepatitis B (CHB). METHODS The cohort consisted of 4194 patients with CHB treated with ETV combined with IFN-α or ETV monotherapy at a tertiary hospital in Beijing, China, from January 2009 to December 2017. The risks, hazard ratios (HRs), and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) of HCC and EHCs were compared in the 2 groups. RESULTS In a multivariate Cox regression analysis, a significantly lower risk of HCC (HR, 0.6; 95% CI, 0.3-0.9; P = .0310) and a marginally significantly lower risk of EHCs (HR, 0.2; 95% CI, 0.02-1.3; P = .0854) were observed in the group receiving ETV combined with IFN-α in comparison with the ETV monotherapy group. The annual virological response rates were significantly higher in the combination therapy group versus the monotherapy group (33.8% vs 21.2%; P < .0001), but the hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) seroclearance rates were not (1.2% vs 0.9%; P = .8537). The HRs were consistent with propensity score-based matching, inverse probability weighting adjustments, and adjustments for virological response and HBsAg seroclearance. CONCLUSIONS ETV combined with IFN-α therapy is superior to ETV monotherapy in reducing the risk of HCC and EHCs for patients with CHB. People who can tolerate and benefit from IFN-α therapy could consider combination therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kailiang Cheng
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences/School of Basic Medicine, Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China
| | - Yu Chen
- Fourth Department of Liver Disease (Difficult and Complicated Liver Diseases and Artificial Liver Center), Beijing You'an Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China.,Beijing Municipal Key Laboratory of Liver Failure and Artificial Liver Treatment Research, Beijing, China
| | - Xiaomo Wang
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences/School of Basic Medicine, Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China
| | - Manman Xu
- Fourth Department of Liver Disease (Difficult and Complicated Liver Diseases and Artificial Liver Center), Beijing You'an Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China.,Beijing Municipal Key Laboratory of Liver Failure and Artificial Liver Treatment Research, Beijing, China
| | - Wei Liao
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences/School of Basic Medicine, Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China
| | | | - Xinyu Zhao
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences/School of Basic Medicine, Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China
| | - Yuanyuan Sun
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences/School of Basic Medicine, Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China
| | - Zhongping Duan
- Fourth Department of Liver Disease (Difficult and Complicated Liver Diseases and Artificial Liver Center), Beijing You'an Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China.,Beijing Municipal Key Laboratory of Liver Failure and Artificial Liver Treatment Research, Beijing, China
| | - Li Wang
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences/School of Basic Medicine, Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China
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Jeng WJ, Lok AS. Should Treatment Indications for Chronic Hepatitis B Be Expanded? Clin Gastroenterol Hepatol 2021; 19:2006-2014. [PMID: 32434068 DOI: 10.1016/j.cgh.2020.04.091] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/17/2020] [Revised: 03/20/2020] [Accepted: 04/24/2020] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND & AIM Antiviral therapy has greatly improved the outcomes of patients with chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection and active liver disease or advanced fibrosis/cirrhosis. However, current treatment does not eradicate HBV and long-term treatment is needed in most patients to maintain clinical benefit. Thus, professional society guidelines do not recommend treatment of all patients with chronic HBV infection. This review article will examine evidence for and against expansion of treatment to patients in whom treatment is not recommended based on current guidelines. RESULTS Available data support expanding treatment to immune tolerant patients and patients in the grey zones who have evidence of active/advanced liver disease based on liver biopsy or non-invasive tests and those who remain in the immune tolerant phase after age 40. Evidence supporting treatment expansion to confirmed inactive carriers and other immune tolerant patients is lacking. CONCLUSIONS HBV treatment indications can be more liberal when new therapies that can achieve HBsAg loss safely in a high percentage of patients after a finite course of treatment are available.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wen-Juei Jeng
- Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Linkou branch, Taiwan; Chang Gung University College of Medicine, Taiwan
| | - Anna S Lok
- Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan.
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Ye J, Chen J. Interferon and Hepatitis B: Current and Future Perspectives. Front Immunol 2021; 12:733364. [PMID: 34557195 PMCID: PMC8452902 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2021.733364] [Citation(s) in RCA: 71] [Impact Index Per Article: 23.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2021] [Accepted: 08/17/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection remains a major health burden worldwide for which there is still no effective curative treatment. Interferon (IFN) consists of a group of cytokines with antiviral activity and immunoregulatory and antitumor effects, that play crucial roles in both innate and adaptive immune responses. IFN-α and its pegylated form have been used for over thirty years to treat chronic hepatitis B (CHB) with advantages of finite treatment duration and sustained virologic response, however, the efficacy is limited and side effects are common. Here, we summarize the status and unique advantages of IFN therapy against CHB, review the mechanisms of IFN-α action and factors affecting IFN response, and discuss the possible improvement of IFN-based therapy and the rationale of combinations with other antiviral agents in seeking an HBV cure.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jianyu Ye
- Key Laboratory of Medical Molecular Virology (MOE/NHC/CAMS), School of Basic Medical Sciences, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Jieliang Chen
- Key Laboratory of Medical Molecular Virology (MOE/NHC/CAMS), School of Basic Medical Sciences, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai, China.,Research Unit of Cure of Chronic Hepatitis B Virus Infection, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Shanghai, China
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36
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Sandmann L, Cornberg M. Towards eradication of HBV: Treatment approaches and status of clinical trials. Curr Opin Pharmacol 2021; 60:232-240. [PMID: 34474210 DOI: 10.1016/j.coph.2021.07.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/14/2021] [Revised: 06/08/2021] [Accepted: 07/07/2021] [Indexed: 01/05/2023]
Abstract
Chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection and its sequelae remain a global health challenge. Current treatments are effective in controlling HBV replication, but complete eradication or 'cure' of HBV remains a rare event and is difficult to assess because of the intrahepatic reservoir of covalently closed circular DNA. Based on the understanding of the HBV life cycle and the deciphering of immune responses to HBV, therapeutic strategies to target HBV eradication are in principle possible. This article reviews current developments in new therapies aimed at HBV cure.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lisa Sandmann
- Department of Gastroenterology, Hepatology, and Endocrinology, Hannover Medical School Hannover, Germany
| | - Markus Cornberg
- Department of Gastroenterology, Hepatology, and Endocrinology, Hannover Medical School Hannover, Germany; Centre for Individualised Infection Medicine (CiiM), a Joint Venture of Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research and Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany; German Center for Infection Research (DZIF), Partner-Site Hannover-Braunschweig, Hannover, Germany.
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37
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Wu F, Lu R, Liu Y, Wang Y, Tian Y, Li Y, Li M, Wang W, Zhang X, Jia X, Dang S. Efficacy and safety of peginterferon alpha monotherapy in Chinese inactive chronic hepatitis B virus carriers. Liver Int 2021; 41:2032-2045. [PMID: 33896094 DOI: 10.1111/liv.14897] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/13/2020] [Revised: 02/27/2021] [Accepted: 03/31/2021] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND & AIMS The effectiveness and safety of peginterferon alpha (peg-IFN-α) monotherapy in inactive hepatitis B virus (HBV) carriers (IHCs) have not been fully evaluated. METHODS This observational study prospectively enrolled 298 IHCs in China from 2015 to 2019. Participants were given the right to choose to either receive peg-IFN-α monotherapy (treatment group, n = 142) or be monitored without treatment (control group, n = 156) according to their wishes. The scheduled treatment duration was 48 weeks. All participants were followed up to 72 weeks. The main efficacy endpoint was hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) clearance at 72 weeks. RESULTS Baseline characteristics were similar between both groups. At 72 weeks, intention-to-treat analysis showed that the rates of HBsAg clearance and seroconversion of the treatment group were 47.9% (68/142) and 36.6% (52/142), respectively, which were significantly higher than the HBsAg clearance rate of 1.9% (3/156) and the seroconversion rate of 0.6% (1/156) in the control group (both P < .001). Baseline HBV DNA < 20 IU/mL, lower HBsAg levels at baseline, 12 and 24 weeks, alanine aminotransferase elevation at 12 weeks, and greater HBsAg reduction from baseline to 12 and 24 weeks were independent predictors of HBsAg clearance. Generally, the therapy was well tolerated. Only five participants discontinued therapy as a result of peg-IFNα-related adverse events. CONCLUSIONS Peg-IFN-α monotherapy results in high rates of HBsAg clearance and seroconversion and the treatment is safe for IHCs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fengping Wu
- Department of Infectious Diseases, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, China
| | - Rui Lu
- Department of Infectious Diseases, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, China
| | - Yixin Liu
- Department of Infectious Diseases, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, China
| | - Yikai Wang
- Department of Infectious Diseases, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, China
| | - Yan Tian
- Department of Infectious Diseases, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, China
| | - Yaping Li
- Department of Infectious Diseases, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, China
| | - Mei Li
- Department of Infectious Diseases, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, China
| | - Wenjun Wang
- Department of Infectious Diseases, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, China
| | - Xin Zhang
- Department of Infectious Diseases, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, China
| | - Xiaoli Jia
- Department of Infectious Diseases, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, China
| | - Shuangsuo Dang
- Department of Infectious Diseases, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, China
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Evon DM, Lin HHS, Fontana RJ, Khalili M, Yim C, Wahed AS, Hoofnagle JH. Liver disease symptoms are associated with higher risk of adverse clinical outcomes: A longitudinal study of North American adults with chronic Hepatitis B. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2021; 3:196-208. [PMID: 34421369 DOI: 10.1002/ygh2.458] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
Background Symptoms of chronic hepatitis B (CHB) are not well characterized. Aims To evaluate CHB symptoms and associations with disease activity and clinical outcomes. Methods Longitudinal data from 1,576 participants in the Hepatitis B Research Network Cohort Study who completed symptom assessments were analyzed. A composite symptom score was calculated using a Symptom Checklist (0=none to 40=extreme). Multivariable mixed models assessed variables associated with symptom change over time. Latent class symptom trajectories were evaluated. The cumulative probability of long-term clinical outcomes (new onset cirrhosis, hepatic decompensation, hepatocellular carcinoma, liver transplantation, death) was examined by baseline symptom groups. Results Participants median age was 42 (range:18-80), 51% were male, 75% Asian, (68% of whom were born outside North America) with a median follow-up of 4.2 years. On average, symptoms did not significantly change over time. The multivariable model identified several variables associated with higher symptoms during follow-up: being female, non-Asian, born in the US/Canada, lower education, higher AST, lower platelets, and more comorbidities. Two patient subgroups were identified based on longitudinal symptom trajectories: a low symptom group (92%, n=1,451) with symptom scores averaging 2.4 over time and a moderate symptom group (8%, n=125) with symptom scores averaging 11.5. During follow-up, 7.3% in the moderate symptom group, but only 3.2% of the low symptom group, developed adverse outcomes (p=0.02). Conclusions In this large cohort of CHB patients, symptoms were generally mild and stable over time. However, in some patients with moderate symptoms at baseline, deleterious clinical outcomes were more frequent in follow-up.
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Affiliation(s)
- Donna M Evon
- Department of Medicine, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
| | - Hsing-Hua S Lin
- Departments of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, University of Pittsburgh
| | | | - Mandana Khalili
- Department of Medicine, University of California at San Francisco
| | - Colina Yim
- Toronto Centre for Liver Disease, University of Toronto
| | - Abdus S Wahed
- Departments of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, University of Pittsburgh
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Berg T, Lampertico P. The times they are a-changing - A refined proposal for finite HBV nucleos(t)ide analogue therapy. J Hepatol 2021; 75:474-480. [PMID: 33957187 DOI: 10.1016/j.jhep.2021.04.040] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/24/2021] [Revised: 04/09/2021] [Accepted: 04/26/2021] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Although discontinuation of nucleos(t)ide analogue (NA) treatment before HBsAg loss is part of all current HBV treatment guidelines for HBeAg-positive patients who achieve HBeAg seroconversion, a treatment endpoint known to be associated with silencing of HBV transcriptional activity and restoration of HBV-specific immune control, whether it is even appropriate to consider NA discontinuation before HBsAg loss in the HBeAg-negative phase remains highly controversial. Despite the growing evidence that a relevant, albeit small, proportion of patients with HBeAg-negative disease can be cured by stopping NA treatment, the fear of discontinuation-associated relapse and the uncertainty of how to predict off-therapy response and monitor patients after discontinuation have generated scepticism and subsequently led to low implementation of this concept in the clinic. In this article, we propose a concept in which NA discontinuation-associated relapse is an integral part of the stop-to-cure approach and ultimately the trigger for achieving HBsAg loss. However, the relapse in this sense becomes functionally effective only if HBV-specific immune reinvigoration and silencing of HBV transcriptional activity have been achieved during the NA treatment period. The probability of functional cure and the severity of post-discontinuation flares depend on the underlying baseline transcriptional activity of HBV when NA therapy was started, as well as the duration of NA treatment, both factors that should be considered as we move towards individualised approaches to HBV cure.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas Berg
- Division of Hepatology, Department of Medicine II, Leipzig University Medical Center, Leipzig, Germany.
| | - Pietro Lampertico
- Foundation IRCCS Ca' Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Milan, Italy; CRC "A. M. and A. Migliavacca" Center for Liver Disease, Department of Pathophysiology and Transplantation, University of Milan, Milan, Italy
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Cornberg M, Sandmann L, Protzer U, Niederau C, Tacke F, Berg T, Glebe D, Jilg W, Wedemeyer H, Wirth S, Höner Zu Siederdissen C, Lynen-Jansen P, van Leeuwen P, Petersen J. S3-Leitlinie der Deutschen Gesellschaft für Gastroenterologie, Verdauungs- und Stoffwechselkrankheiten (DGVS) zur Prophylaxe, Diagnostik und Therapie der Hepatitis-B-Virusinfektion – (AWMF-Register-Nr. 021-11). ZEITSCHRIFT FUR GASTROENTEROLOGIE 2021; 59:691-776. [PMID: 34255317 DOI: 10.1055/a-1498-2512] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Markus Cornberg
- Deutsches Zentrum für Infektionsforschung (DZIF), Klinik für Gastroenterologie, Hepatologie und Endokrinologie, Medizinische Hochschule Hannover, Hannover; Centre for individualised infection Medicine (CiiM), Hannover.,Klinik für Gastroenterologie, Hepatologie und Endokrinologie, Medizinische Hochschule Hannover, Hannover
| | - Lisa Sandmann
- Klinik für Gastroenterologie, Hepatologie und Endokrinologie, Medizinische Hochschule Hannover, Hannover
| | - Ulrike Protzer
- Institut für Virologie, Technische Universität München/Helmholtz Zentrum München, München
| | | | - Frank Tacke
- Medizinische Klinik m. S. Hepatologie und Gastroenterologie, Charité Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin
| | - Thomas Berg
- Klinik und Poliklinik für Gastroenterologie und Rheumatologie, Universitätsklinikum Leipzig, Leipzig
| | - Dieter Glebe
- Institut für Medizinische Virologie, Nationales Referenzzentrum für Hepatitis-B-Viren und Hepatitis-D-Viren, Justus-Liebig-Universität Gießen, Gießen
| | - Wolfgang Jilg
- Institut für Medizinische Mikrobiologie und Hygiene, Universität Regensberg, Regensburg
| | - Heiner Wedemeyer
- Klinik für Gastroenterologie, Hepatologie und Endokrinologie, Medizinische Hochschule Hannover, Hannover
| | - Stefan Wirth
- Zentrum für Kinder- und Jugendmedizin, Helios Universitätsklinikum Wuppertal, Wuppertal
| | | | - Petra Lynen-Jansen
- Deutsche Gesellschaft für Gastroenterologie, Verdauungs- und Stoffwechselkrankheiten (DGVS), Berlin
| | - Pia van Leeuwen
- Deutsche Gesellschaft für Gastroenterologie, Verdauungs- und Stoffwechselkrankheiten (DGVS), Berlin
| | - Jörg Petersen
- IFI Institut für Interdisziplinäre Medizin an der Asklepios Klinik St. Georg, Hamburg
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41
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Ying SY, Hu YR, Gao GS, Lou KH, Huang Z. Interleukin-28B Polymorphisms Predict the Efficacy of Peginterferon Alpha in Patients With Chronic Hepatitis B: A Meta-Analysis. Front Med (Lausanne) 2021; 8:691365. [PMID: 34307418 PMCID: PMC8298999 DOI: 10.3389/fmed.2021.691365] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/16/2021] [Accepted: 06/11/2021] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Background: Polyethylene glycol interferon alpha (PEG-IFN-α) is the most frequently used pharmacotherapeutic approach in patients infected with hepatitis B virus (HBV). Numerous studies have reported that interleukin-28B (IL-28B) genetic polymorphisms are related to the therapeutic efficacy of PEG-IFN-α, but the results are inconsistent. The present meta-analysis aimed to analyze the association between IL-28B genetic polymorphisms and the prognosis of patients with chronic hepatitis B (CHB) treated with PEG-IFN-α to inform clinical practice. Methods: PubMed, EBSCO, and Scopus databases were searched for relevant literature published before February 30, 2021. We calculated the crude odds ratios (ORs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) of the cited articles. A total of 2510 patients with CHB treated with PEG-IFN-α in 13 clinical cohort studies were analyzed. Results: The overall analysis demonstrated a potential association between IL-28B genetic polymorphisms and response to PEG-IFN-α; however, the association was not statistically significant. Furthermore, the subgroup analysis revealed that among patients with HBeAg-negative CHB, the rs12979860 CC genotype and rs8099917 TT genotype were associated with more significant treatment response to PEG-IFN-α (CC vs. non-CC: OR 2.78, 95% CI 1.00–7.76, I2 = 83%; TT vs. non-TT: OR 2.16, 95% CI 1.35–3.48, I2 = 0%). Among Asian patients with CHB, the rs12979860 CC genotype was associated with a more significant treatment response to PEG-IFN (CC vs. non-CC: OR 1.88, 95% CI 1.18–2.99, I2 = 0%). Conclusion: This meta-analysis revealed that the IL-28B rs12979860 CC genotype and rs8099917 TT genotype indicated a better treatment response than non-CC and non-TT genotypes for PEG-IFN-α in patients with CHB.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sang-Yu Ying
- Clinical Laboratory, HwaMei Hospital, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Ningbo, China.,Ningbo Institute of Life and Health Industry, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Ningbo, China
| | - Yao-Ren Hu
- Ningbo Institute of Life and Health Industry, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Ningbo, China.,Department of Hepatology, HwaMei Hospital, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Ningbo, China
| | - Guo-Sheng Gao
- Clinical Laboratory, HwaMei Hospital, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Ningbo, China.,Ningbo Institute of Life and Health Industry, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Ningbo, China
| | - Ke-Hong Lou
- Clinical Laboratory, HwaMei Hospital, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Ningbo, China.,Ningbo Institute of Life and Health Industry, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Ningbo, China
| | - Zhen Huang
- Ningbo Institute of Life and Health Industry, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Ningbo, China.,Department of Blood Transfusion, HwaMei Hospital, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Ningbo, China
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42
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Reinharz V, Ishida Y, Tsuge M, Durso-Cain K, Chung TL, Tateno C, Perelson AS, Uprichard SL, Chayama K, Dahari H. Understanding Hepatitis B Virus Dynamics and the Antiviral Effect of Interferon Alpha Treatment in Humanized Chimeric Mice. J Virol 2021; 95:e0049220. [PMID: 33910953 PMCID: PMC8223956 DOI: 10.1128/jvi.00492-20] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/23/2020] [Accepted: 04/20/2021] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Whereas the mode of action of lamivudine (LAM) against hepatitis B virus (HBV) is well established, the inhibition mechanism(s) of interferon alpha (IFN-α) is less completely defined. To advance our understanding, we mathematically modeled HBV kinetics during 14-day pegylated IFN-α-2a (pegIFN), LAM, or pegIFN-plus-LAM (pegIFN+LAM) treatment of 39 chronically HBV-infected humanized uPA/SCID chimeric mice. Serum HBV DNA and intracellular HBV DNA were measured frequently. We developed a multicompartmental mathematical model and simultaneously fit it to the serum and intracellular HBV DNA data. Unexpectedly, even in the absence of an adaptive immune response, a biphasic decline in serum HBV DNA and intracellular HBV DNA was observed in response to all treatments. Kinetic analysis and modeling indicate that the first phase represents inhibition of intracellular HBV DNA synthesis and secretion, which was similar under all treatments with an overall mean efficacy of 98%. In contrast, there were distinct differences in HBV decline during the second phase, which was accounted for in the model by a time-dependent inhibition of intracellular HBV DNA synthesis, with the steepest decline observed during pegIFN+LAM treatment (1.28/day) and the slowest (0.1/day) during pegIFN monotherapy. Reminiscent of observations in patients treated with pegIFN and/or LAM, a biphasic HBV decline was observed in treated humanized mice in the absence of an adaptive immune response. Interestingly, combination treatment did not increase the initial inhibition of HBV production but rather enhanced second-phase decline, providing insight into the dynamics of HBV treatment response and the mode of action of IFN-α against HBV. IMPORTANCE Chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection remains a global health care problem, as we lack sufficient curative treatment options. Elucidating the dynamics of HBV infection and treatment response at the molecular level could facilitate the development of novel, more effective HBV antivirals. Currently, the only well-established small animal HBV infection model available is the chimeric uPA/SCID mice with humanized livers; however, the HBV inhibition kinetics under pegylated IFN-α-2a (pegIFN) in this model system have not been determined in sufficient detail. In this study, viral kinetics in 39 humanized mice treated with pegIFN and/or lamivudine were monitored and analyzed using a mathematical modeling approach. We found that the main mode of action of IFN-α is blocking HBV DNA synthesis and that the majority of synthesized HBV DNA is secreted. Our study provides novel insights into HBV DNA dynamics within infected human hepatocytes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vladimir Reinharz
- Department of Computer Science, Université du Québec à Montréal, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Yuji Ishida
- Research Center for Hepatology and Gastroenterology, Hiroshima University, Hiroshima, Japan
- PhoenixBio Co., Ltd., Hiroshima, Japan
| | - Masataka Tsuge
- Research Center for Hepatology and Gastroenterology, Hiroshima University, Hiroshima, Japan
- The Program for Experimental and Theoretical Modeling, Division of Hepatology, Department of Medicine, Stritch School of Medicine, Loyola University Chicago, Maywood, Illinois, USA
- Natural Science Center for Basic Research and Development, Hiroshima University, Hiroshima, Japan
| | - Karina Durso-Cain
- The Program for Experimental and Theoretical Modeling, Division of Hepatology, Department of Medicine, Stritch School of Medicine, Loyola University Chicago, Maywood, Illinois, USA
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Stritch School of Medicine, Loyola University Medical Center, Maywood, Illinois, USA
- Infectious Disease and Immunology Research Institute, Stritch School of Medicine, Loyola University Medical Center, Maywood, Illinois, USA
| | - Tje Lin Chung
- The Program for Experimental and Theoretical Modeling, Division of Hepatology, Department of Medicine, Stritch School of Medicine, Loyola University Chicago, Maywood, Illinois, USA
- Institut für Biostatistik and Mathematische Modellierung, Fachbereich Medizin, Goethe Universität, Frankfurt, Germany
| | - Chise Tateno
- Research Center for Hepatology and Gastroenterology, Hiroshima University, Hiroshima, Japan
- PhoenixBio Co., Ltd., Hiroshima, Japan
| | - Alan S. Perelson
- Theoretical Biology and Biophysics, Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, New Mexico, USA
| | - Susan L. Uprichard
- The Program for Experimental and Theoretical Modeling, Division of Hepatology, Department of Medicine, Stritch School of Medicine, Loyola University Chicago, Maywood, Illinois, USA
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Stritch School of Medicine, Loyola University Medical Center, Maywood, Illinois, USA
- Infectious Disease and Immunology Research Institute, Stritch School of Medicine, Loyola University Medical Center, Maywood, Illinois, USA
| | - Kazuaki Chayama
- Research Center for Hepatology and Gastroenterology, Hiroshima University, Hiroshima, Japan
- Institute of Physical and Chemical Research (RIKEN) Center for Integrative Medical Sciences, Yokohama, Japan
- Collaborative Research Laboratory of Medical Innovation, Hiroshima University, Hiroshima, Japan
| | - Harel Dahari
- The Program for Experimental and Theoretical Modeling, Division of Hepatology, Department of Medicine, Stritch School of Medicine, Loyola University Chicago, Maywood, Illinois, USA
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Entecavir add-on Peg-interferon therapy plays a positive role in reversing hepatic fibrosis in treatment-naïve chronic hepatitis B patients: a prospective and randomized controlled trial. Chin Med J (Engl) 2021; 133:1639-1648. [PMID: 32568867 PMCID: PMC7401765 DOI: 10.1097/cm9.0000000000000857] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The efficacy of entecavir (ETV) add-on peg-interferon therapy compared with ETV monotherapy in treatment-naïve hepatitis B virus (HBV) patients remains controversial. We investigated whether adding peg-interferon to ongoing ETV treatment leads to a better curative effect or not. METHODS All patients have been recruited between August 2013 and January 2015 from the Shanghai Public Health Clinical Center and Zhongshan Hospital (China). Eligible HBV patients (n = 144) were randomly divided (1:1) to receive either ETV monotherapy (n = 70) or peg-interferon add-on therapy from week 26 to 52 (n = 74). Patients were followed-up for at least 2 years. Indexes including hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) and hepatitis B e antigen (HBeAg) seroconversion rate, sustained virologic response, transient elastography value, and histological scores were evaluated every 3 months until the end of the study. The rate of patients with HBsAg loss was defined as the primary endpoint criteria. RESULTS At week 26, no patient achieved HBsAg seroconversion in either group. At week 52, one patient in the monotherapy group was HBsAg-negative but there was none in the combination therapy group. The monotherapy group showed significantly better liver function recovery results than the combination therapy group. At week 78, one patient in the combination group had HBsAg seroconverted. At week 104, only three patients in the combination therapy group were HBsAg-negative compared with one patient in monotherapy. The mean alanine aminotransferase and aspartate aminotransferase levels and transient elastography values decreased significantly compared with baseline. Both groups showed a favorable decrease in alpha-fetoprotein (monotherapy: 4.5 [2.8, 7.1] vs. 2.2 [1.8, 3.1] ng/mL, P < 0.001; combination therapy: 5.7 [3.0, 18.8] vs. 3.2 [2.0, 4.3] ng/mL, P < 0.001) and an improved result of liver biopsy examination scores. The combination group showed a better improvement in histology compared with the monotherapy group (mean transient elastography value 6.6 [4.9, 9.8] vs. 7.8 [5.4, 11.1] kPa, P = 0.028). But there was no significant difference in HBsAg conversion rate (1.8% [1/56] vs. 4.1% [3/73], P = 0.809) and HBeAg conversion rate (12.5% [7/56] vs. 11.0% [8/73], P = 0.787), as well as HBV-DNA, sustained virologic response (93.2% vs. 98.5%, P = 0.150) between the two groups. CONCLUSIONS Both therapies supported liver function recovery and histology improvement. Combination therapy did not show better anti-viral efficacy in HBsAg or HBeAg seroconversion compared with monotherapy. However, combination therapy played a more positive role in reversing hepatic fibrosis compared with monotherapy. TRIAL REGISTRATION ClinicalTrials.gov: NCT02849132; https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT02849132.
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Durantel D, Dousson CB, Lampertico P. Is there any need for new, long-acting nucleos(t)ide analogues for the treatment of hepatitis B infection? J Hepatol 2021; 74:1011-1014. [PMID: 33715896 DOI: 10.1016/j.jhep.2021.01.038] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/12/2021] [Revised: 01/20/2021] [Accepted: 01/20/2021] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- David Durantel
- INSERM, U1111, International Center for Infectiology Research (CIRI), CNRS UMR_5308, University of Lyon (UCBL1), Lyon, France.
| | - Cyril B Dousson
- Ai-biopharma, Medicinal Chemistry Department, Montpellier, France; Foundation IRCCS Ca' Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Milan, Italy
| | - Pietro Lampertico
- Department of Pathophysiology and Transplantation, CRC "A. M. and A. Migliavacca" Center for Liver Disease, University of Milan, Milan, Italy.
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Activation of plasmacytoid dendritic cells promotes AML-cell fratricide. Oncotarget 2021; 12:878-890. [PMID: 33953842 PMCID: PMC8092344 DOI: 10.18632/oncotarget.27949] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/07/2021] [Accepted: 04/06/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Acute myeloid leukemia (AML) is characterized by the proliferation of immature myeloid blasts and a suppressed immune state. Interferons have been previously shown to aid in the clearance of AML cells. Type I interferons are produced primarily by plasmacytoid dendritic cells (pDCs). However, these cells exist in a quiescent state in AML. Because pDCs express TLR 7–9, we hypothesized that the TLR7/8 agonist R848 would be able to reprogram them toward a more active, IFN-producing phenotype. Consistent with this notion, we found that R848-treated pDCs from patients produced significantly elevated levels of IFNβ. In addition, they showed increased expression of the immune-stimulatory receptor CD40. We next tested whether IFNβ would influence antibody-mediated fratricide among AML cells, as our recent work showed that AML cells could undergo cell-to cell killing in the presence of the CD38 antibody daratumumab. We found that IFNβ treatment led to a significant, IRF9-dependent increase in CD38 expression and a subsequent increase in daratumumab-mediated cytotoxicity and decreased colony formation. These findings suggest that the tolerogenic phenotype of pDCs in AML can be reversed, and also demonstrate a possible means of enhancing endogenous Type I IFN production that would promote daratumumab-mediated clearance of AML cells.
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46
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Goh ZY, Ren EC, Ko HL. Intracellular interferon signalling pathways as potential regulators of covalently closed circular DNA in the treatment of chronic hepatitis B. World J Gastroenterol 2021; 27:1369-1391. [PMID: 33911462 PMCID: PMC8047536 DOI: 10.3748/wjg.v27.i14.1369] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/21/2021] [Revised: 02/23/2021] [Accepted: 03/17/2021] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Infection with the hepatitis B virus (HBV) is still a major global health threat as 250 million people worldwide continue to be chronically infected with the virus. While patients may be treated with nucleoside/nucleotide analogues, this only suppresses HBV titre to sub-detection levels without eliminating the persistent HBV covalently closed circular DNA (cccDNA) genome. As a result, HBV infection cannot be cured, and the virus reactivates when conditions are favorable. Interferons (IFNs) are cytokines known to induce powerful antiviral mechanisms that clear viruses from infected cells. They have been shown to induce cccDNA clearance, but their use in the treatment of HBV infection is limited as HBV-targeting immune cells are exhausted and HBV has evolved multiple mechanisms to evade and suppress IFN signalling. Thus, to fully utilize IFN-mediated intracellular mechanisms to effectively eliminate HBV, instead of direct IFN administration, novel strategies to sustain IFN-mediated anti-cccDNA and antiviral mechanisms need to be developed. This review will consolidate what is known about how IFNs act to achieve its intracellular antiviral effects and highlight the critical interferon-stimulated gene targets and effector mechanisms with potent anti-cccDNA functions. These include cccDNA degradation by APOBECs and cccDNA silencing and transcription repression by epigenetic modifications. In addition, the mechanisms that HBV employs to disrupt IFN signalling will be discussed. Drugs that have been developed or are in the pipeline for components of the IFN signalling pathway and HBV targets that detract IFN signalling mechanisms will also be identified and discussed for utility in the treatment of HBV infections. Together, these will provide useful insights into design strategies that specifically target cccDNA for the eradication of HBV.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhi Yi Goh
- Singapore Immunology Network, Agency for Science, Technology and Research, Singapore 138648, Singapore
- Integrative Sciences and Engineering Programme, NUS Graduate School, National University of Singapore, Singapore 119077, Singapore
| | - Ee Chee Ren
- Singapore Immunology Network, Agency for Science, Technology and Research, Singapore 138648, Singapore
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore 119260, Singapore
| | - Hui Ling Ko
- Singapore Immunology Network, Agency for Science, Technology and Research, Singapore 138648, Singapore
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Tertiary Prevention of HCC in Chronic Hepatitis B or C Infected Patients. Cancers (Basel) 2021; 13:cancers13071729. [PMID: 33917345 PMCID: PMC8038691 DOI: 10.3390/cancers13071729] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/16/2021] [Revised: 03/29/2021] [Accepted: 03/29/2021] [Indexed: 01/27/2023] Open
Abstract
Simple Summary Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) recurrence is the major obstacle concerning patients’ survival. Tertiary prevention by antiviral therapies could reduce HCC recurrence rate in both chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) or hepatitis C virus (HCV) infected patients. In chronic hepatitis B (CHB) patients, nucleos(t)ide analogues (Nuc) provide a more effective HCC tertiary prevention effect than an interferon (IFN)-based regimen. In chronic hepatitis C (CHC) patients, the tertiary prevention effect by direct acting antiviral agents (DAAs) was reported non-inferior to that by IFN-based therapy. Chronic hepatitis C patients left untreated had the worst survival benefit as well as shorted recurrence-free interval than those treated by either type of antiviral regimen. Although the risk of HCC recurrence could only be decreased but not diminished by antiviral therapies due to host and microenvironmental factors beyond virus infection, antiviral therapy helps to preserve and improve liver function which makes multi-modality anticancer treatment feasible to improve survival. Abstract Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) ranks as a leading cause of common cancer and cancer-related death. The major etiology of HCC is due to chronic hepatitis virus including HBV and HCV infections. Scheduled HCC surveillance in high risk populations improves the early detection rate and the feasibility of curative treatment. However, high HCC recurrence rate still accounts for the poor prognosis of HCC patients. In this article, we critically review the pathogenesis of viral hepatitis-related hepatocellular carcinoma and the evidence of tertiary prevention efficacy by current available antiviral treatment, and discuss the knowledge gap in viral hepatitis-related HCC tertiary prevention.
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Kawashima K, Isogawa M, Onishi M, Baudi I, Saito S, Nakajima A, Fujita T, Tanaka Y. Restoration of type I interferon signaling in intrahepatically primed CD8+ T cells promotes functional differentiation. JCI Insight 2021; 6:145761. [PMID: 33400688 PMCID: PMC7934883 DOI: 10.1172/jci.insight.145761] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/04/2020] [Accepted: 12/23/2020] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Hepatitis B virus–specific (HBV-specific) CD8+ T cells fail to acquire effector functions after priming in the liver, but the molecular basis for the dysfunction is poorly understood. By comparing the gene expression profile of intrahepatically primed, dysfunctional HBV-specific CD8+ T cells with that of systemically primed, functional effector counterparts, we found that the expression of interferon-stimulated genes (ISGs) is selectively suppressed in the dysfunctional CD8+ T cells. The ISG suppression was associated with impaired phosphorylation of STAT1 in response to IFN-α treatment. Importantly, a strong induction of type I interferons (IFN-Is) in the liver facilitated the functional differentiation of intrahepatically primed HBV-specific CD8+ T cells in association with the restoration of ISGs’ expression in the T cells. These results suggest that intrahepatic priming suppresses IFN-I signaling in CD8+ T cells, which may contribute to the dysfunction. The data also suggest a therapeutic value of the robust induction of intrahepatic IFN-Is for the treatment of chronic HBV infection. Functional defects of hepatitis B virus–specific CD8+ T cells correlate with impairment of type I interferon signaling after intrahepatic priming.
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Affiliation(s)
- Keigo Kawashima
- Department of Virology and Liver Unit, Nagoya City University Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Nagoya, Japan.,Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Yokohama City University School of Medicine, Yokohama, Japan
| | - Masanori Isogawa
- Department of Virology and Liver Unit, Nagoya City University Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Nagoya, Japan.,Department of Immunology, National Institute of Infectious Diseases, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Masaya Onishi
- Department of Virology and Liver Unit, Nagoya City University Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Nagoya, Japan.,Department of Gastroenterology/Internal Medicine, Gifu University Graduate School of Medicine, Gifu, Japan
| | - Ian Baudi
- Department of Virology and Liver Unit, Nagoya City University Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Nagoya, Japan
| | - Satoru Saito
- Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Yokohama City University School of Medicine, Yokohama, Japan
| | - Atsushi Nakajima
- Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Yokohama City University School of Medicine, Yokohama, Japan
| | - Takashi Fujita
- Laboratory of Molecular Genetics, Institute for Frontier Life and Medical Science, and.,Laboratory of Molecular and Cellular Immunology, Graduate School of Biostudies, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan
| | - Yasuhito Tanaka
- Department of Virology and Liver Unit, Nagoya City University Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Nagoya, Japan.,Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kumamoto University, Kumamoto, Japan
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Meta-omics characteristics of intestinal microbiota associated to HBeAg seroconversion induced by oral antiviral therapy. Sci Rep 2021; 11:3253. [PMID: 33547384 PMCID: PMC7864979 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-82939-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/21/2020] [Accepted: 01/25/2021] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
Tenofovir and entecavir are currently designated as the preferred oral antiviral drugs for chronic hepatitis B. However, only less than 40% of patients can achieve HBeAg seroconversion. We aim at investigating the role of intestinal microbiome in HBeAg seroconversion induced by oral antiviral therapy and describe multi-omics characteristics of HBeAg seroconversion associated intestinal flora. In this study, we prospectively collected fecal samples at baseline from the patients with HBeAg positive chronic hepatitis B who would have oral antiviral therapy. 16S rDNA sequencing and metabolomics were performed. We identified HBeAg seroconversion-related microbial signature and constructed prediction model for HBeAg seroconversion. Thirty-seven of these subjects achieved HBeAg seroconversion within 156 weeks after the initiation of oral antiviral therapy, while 41 subjects remained HBeAg positive even after over 156 weeks of therapy. A computational statistical and machine learning approach allowed us to identify a microbial signature for HBeAg seroconversion. Using random forest method, we further constructed a classifier based on the microbial signature, with area under curve being 0.749 for the test set. Patients who achieved HBeAg seroconversion tended to have lower abundance of certain fecal metabolites such as essential amino acids, and several dipeptides. By analyzing the fecal microbiota from the patients with and without HBeAg seroconversion, we showed intestinal microbiome play a critical role in HBeAg seroconversion induced by oral antiviral therapy. We also identified intestinal microbial signature that is associated with HBeAg seroconversion after oral antiviral therapy.
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50
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Gonçalves A, Lemenuel-Diot A, Cosson V, Jin Y, Feng S, Bo Q, Guedj J. What drives the dynamics of HBV RNA during treatment? J Viral Hepat 2021; 28:383-392. [PMID: 33074571 DOI: 10.1111/jvh.13425] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/02/2020] [Revised: 09/30/2020] [Accepted: 10/12/2020] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
Hepatitis B virus RNA (HBV RNA)-containing particles are encapsidated pre-genomic RNA (pgRNA) detectable in chronically infected patients in addition to virions (HBV DNA) that have been suggested as a marker of the treatment efficacy. This makes promising the use of core protein allosteric modulators, such as RG7907, which disrupt the nucleocapsid assembly and profoundly reduce HBV RNA. Here, we developed a multiscale model of HBV extending the standard viral dynamic models to analyse the kinetics of HBV DNA and HBV RNA in 35 patients treated with RG7907 for 28 days. We compare the predictions with those obtained in patients treated with the nucleotide analog tenofovir. RG7907 blocked 99.3% of pgRNA encapsidation (range: 92.1%-99.9%) which led to a decline of both HBV DNA and HBV RNA. As a consequence of its mode of action, the first phase of decline of HBV RNA was rapid, uncovering the clearance of viral particles with half-life of 45 min. In contrast, HBV DNA decline was predicted to be less rapid, due to the continuous secretion of already formed viral capsids (t1/2 = 17 ± 6 h). After few days, both markers declined at the same rate, which was attributed to the loss of infected cells (t1/2 ≅ 6 ± 0.8 days). By blocking efficiently RNA reverse transcription but not its encapsidation, nucleotide analog in contrast was predicted to lead to a transient accumulation of HBV RNA both intracellularly and extracellularly. The model brings a conceptual framework for understanding the differences between HBV DNA and HBV RNA dynamics. Integration of HBV RNA in viral dynamic models may be helpful to better quantify the treatment effect, especially in viral-suppressed patients where HBV DNA is no longer detectable.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Annabelle Lemenuel-Diot
- Pharmaceutical Sciences, Roche Pharmaceutical Research and Early Development, Roche Innovation Center, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Valérie Cosson
- Pharmaceutical Sciences, Roche Pharmaceutical Research and Early Development, Roche Innovation Center, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Yuyan Jin
- Clinical Pharmacology, Pharmaceutical Sciences, Roche Pharma Research & Early Development, Roche Innovation Center Shanghai, Shanghai, China
| | - Sheng Feng
- Clinical Pharmacology, Pharmaceutical Sciences, Roche Pharma Research & Early Development, Roche Innovation Center Shanghai, Shanghai, China
| | - Qingyan Bo
- I2O DTA, Roche Pharma Research & Early Development, Roche Innovation Center Shanghai, Shanghai, China
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