Kushenin Combined with Nucleos(t)ide Analogues for Chronic Hepatitis B: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Kushenin Combined with Adefovir Dipivoxil or Entecavir for Chronic Hepatitis B: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Kushenin (KS) has become a traditional Chinese medicine preparation that plays an important role in treating chronic hepatitis B (CHB). Many clinical studies have discussed its curative effect and safety in combination with adefovir dipivoxil (ADV) or entecavir (ETV) for treating CHB, but there is still a lack of a systematic analysis. Therefore, this study evaluated the efficacy and safety of KS through a meta-analysis to better guide clinical treatment. Seven databases were searched to identify randomized controlled trials (RCTs) concerning KS combined with ADV or ETV for treating CHB. The primary outcomes included serum viral indices and adverse events, and the secondary outcomes were liver function indices. The risk of bias of the included RCTs was appraised by Cochrane software. STATA 15.1 and Review Manager 5.3 software were used for the meta-analysis. Thirty-two RCTs recruiting 3343 patients with CHB were collected for this meta-analysis. KS combined with ETV or ADV led to an amelioration of the CHB index to various degrees. In short, the meta-analysis indicated that the combination group, compared to the single group, showed great improvement in HBeAg seroconversion, frequency of undetectable HBV-DNA levels, loss of serum HBeAg, and loss of serum HBsAg. The combination treatment also decreased serum HBV-DNA levels when compared to the levels after the single treatment. However, KS combined with ADV or ETV displayed no remarkable difference in the incidence of adverse events or in serum ALT levels. Current evidence showed that, compared with the use of either drug alone, KS combined with ADV or ETV can improve the clinical efficacy of CHB treatment.

Prevalence and predictors of complementary and alternative medicine modalities in patients with chronic hepatitis B

BACKGROUND & AIMS

The use of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) in patients with chronic hepatitis B (CHB) can interact with antiviral treatment or influence health-seeking behaviour. We aimed to study the use of individual CAM modalities in CHB and explore determinants of use, particularly migration-related, socio-economic and clinical factors.

METHODS

A total of 436 CHB outpatients who attended the Toronto Centre for Liver Disease in 2015-2016 were included in this cross-sectional study. Using the comprehensive I-CAM questionnaire and health records, data were collected on socio-demographic and clinical variables and on usage of 16 CAM modalities in the last year.

RESULTS

Sixty percent of patients were male, 74% were Asian and 46% were using antiviral treatment. Three-hundred and nine (71%) patients used CAM. Vitamin/mineral preparations (45% of patients) were most commonly used. Overall CAM use and the specific use of potentially injurious CAM, such as green tea extract (9.2%) and St. John's wort (0.2%), were not associated with liver disease severity. Female sex, family history of CHB, lower serum HBV DNA, and higher socio-economic status were independently associated with bio-holistic CAM use, the clinically most-relevant CAM group (P < 0.05); ethnicity, antiviral therapy use and liver disease severity were not.

CONCLUSIONS

CAM use among CHB patients was extensive, especially use of vitamin and mineral preparations, but without direct influence on liver disease severity. Bio-holistic CAM use appeared to be associated with socio-economic status rather than with ethnicity or liver disease severity. Despite the rare use of hepatotoxins, physicians should actively inquire about it.

Immunomodulatory Effects of Combination Therapy with Bushen Formula plus Entecavir for Chronic Hepatitis B Patients

Aim

To compare the clinical efficacy of the combination therapy with Bushen formula (BSF) plus entecavir (ETV) in naïve chronic hepatitis B (CHB) patients and that in CHB patients with partial virological response to ETV and explore the relevant immunoregulatory mechanism.

Materials and Methods

Two hundred and twenty CHB patients were enrolled in the historical prospective cohort study. Patients were categorized into a treatment group (T-Group: combination therapy with BSF plus ETV) and a control group (C-Group: ETV). Patients in T-Group and C-Group were grouped into T1/C1 (treatment-naïve patients) and T2/C2 (patients with partial virological response to ETV). Biochemical assessment, viral load quantitation, and HBV markers were tested. Chinese medicine symptom complex score was evaluated and recorded as well. In addition, peripheral blood mononuclear cells were separated from blood samples in 56 patients and 11 healthy donors. The frequencies of Th1, Treg, and dendritic cells (DCs) and expression levels of PD-1/PD-L1 were examined by flow cytometry.

Results

In treatment-naïve CHB patients, complete viral suppression rates in HBeAg(−) patients were higher than those in HBeAg(+) patients in both T and C groups. In patients with partial virological response to ETV, the rate of HBsAg decline ≥ 20% in HBeAg(+) patients of T2-Group was higher than that in HBeAg(+) patients of C2-Group. A significant reduction of Chinese medicine symptom complex score was only observed in T-Group. The study of mechanism showed that, compared with healthy controls, Th1 and DC frequencies were decreased in all CHB patients, while Treg frequency was increased only in treatment-naïve patients. In addition, compared with healthy controls, PD-1 expression levels on Th1 and Treg were increased in all patients and PD-L1 expression levels on DCs were increased only in treatment-naïve patients. In treatment-naïve patients, the combination therapy with BSF plus ETV increased Th1 and DC frequencies and decreased Treg frequency, which was correlated with HBsAg decline. In addition, in patients with partial virological response to ETV, the combination therapy downregulated PD-L1 levels on DCs and the frequency of Treg, which was related with HBsAg decline.

Conclusions

In patients with partial virological response to ETV, HBeAg(+) patients tend to achieve ideal effects after the combination therapy with BSF plus ETV, which may correlate with the decrease of Treg frequency and the downregulation of PD-L1 levels on DCs.