Lamivudine for Chronic Hepatitis B

NCT00001457 | Completed Phase 2

• 2 other identifiers: 95019995-DK-0199
• Study Type: interventional
• Target: 60
• Locations: 1 country
• Sites: 1

Brief Summary

Chronic hepatitis B is a disease of the liver caused by the hepatitis B virus. It affects nearly 1 million Americans. Approximately 25% of patients with chronic hepatitis B will develop liver cirrhosis and 5% of patients will develop liver cancer. Presently, two medications have been shown effective in the treatment of hepatitis B: lamivudine and alpha interferon. Alpha interferon (an antiviral drug that acts through the immune system) is given by injection once daily or three times a week for four to six months. Lamivudine (also known as 3-thiacytidine: 3TC) is an antiviral medication given as a pill once a day for twelve months. These treatments have been known to provide long-term improvement in one third of patients receiving them. In previous research, the drug lamivudine was shown to stop the growth of the hepatitis B virus and to lead marked decreases in the levels of hepatitis B virus and to improvements in the disease in 50 to 70% of patients. However, once lamivudine therapy was discontinued the virus returned to levels noted before the therapy began. In those studies lamivudine was given for 3 to 12 months then discontinued. This study will investigate the safety and effectiveness of long-term therapy with lamivudine. This study will select 60 patients diagnosed with hepatitis B. After a thorough medical examination and liver biopsy, subjects will be given lamivudine. The drug will be taken by mouth in tablet form (100 mg) once a day for up to 5 years. Subjects will undergo regular check-ups and after 1 year of therapy be admitted to the Clinical Center for another medical examination and liver biopsy to assess progress. Patients who have benefitted from the therapy will continue taking the medication for up to 5 years. A third liver biopsy will be done during the last year of treatment. The effectiveness of lamivudine will be determined by whether levels of hepatitis B virus decrease in the blood, whether liver enzymes improve, and whether inflammation and scarring decreases in the liver biopsies.

Conditions

Chronic Hepatitis B; Chronic Hepatitis D; Glomerulonephritis; Polyarteritis Nodosa

Keywords

Nucleoside Analogues; Delta Hepatitis; Glomerulonephritis; Polyarteritis Nodosa; Hepatitis Mutants; 3TC; Chronic Hepatitis B; Chronic Hepatitis D; Cirrhosis; Lamivudine

Interventions

Lamivudine DRUG

Eligibility Criteria

• Sex: all
• Healthy Volunteers: No
• Age Groups: Child (0-17), Adult (18-64), Older Adult (65+)

You may qualify if:

• Age 18 years or above, male or female.
• Known presence of HBsAg in serum for at least 6 months.
• Liver biopsy histology showing chronic hepatitis with or without cirrhosis.
• Previous therapy with alpha interferon without a lasting effect or intolerance to alpha interferon, due to side effects.
• Written informed consent.
• Group A: For patients with chronic hepatitis B with atypical serology: absence of HBeAg from serum despite elevations in serum aminotransferases, such as that the average levels are greater than 55 U/L (approximately 1.3 times the upper limit of the normal range) based upon two determinations taken at least one month apart during the 6 months before entry.
• Group B: For patients with glomerulonephritis: proteinuria of greater than 1 gm per 24 hours. For patients with polyarteritis, radiological proof of arteritis and involvement of at least on organ system outside of the liver.
• Group C: For patients with chronic delta hepatitis: anti-HDV in serum and HDV antigen in liver biopsy or HDV RNA in serum and elevations in serum aminotransferases, such that the average levels are greater than 55 U/L based upon two determinations taken at least one month apart during the 6 months before entry.
• Group D: For patients with chronic hepatitis B and typical serology: HBeAg and HBV DNA in serum but ineligibility to enter the multicenter trial of lamivudine either because of previous receipt of interferon and intolerable side effects, refusal to receive interferon again, because of normal serum aminotransferases, or lack of availability of the trial.

You may not qualify if:

• Pregnant or if capable of bearing or fathering children must practice adequate contraception.
• Significant systemic illnesses other than liver diseases, including congestive heart failure, renal failure, chronic pancreatitis, diabetes mellitus with poor control.
• Pre-existing bone marrow compromise: hematocrit must be greater than 30%, white blood cell count must be greater than 2000 mm(3), platelets must be greater than 70,000 mm(3).
• Creatinine clearance must be greater than 50 cc/min.
• A history of clinically apparent pancreatitis or evidence of subclinically pancreatitis as shown by serum amylase values twice the upper limits of the normal range and abnormalities of the pancreas on computerized tomography or other imaging studies of the abdomen.
• Irreversibly severe cirrhosis as defined by Child's stage C.
• Presence of anti-HIV or anti-HCV with HCV RNA in serum.
• Immunosuppressive therapy requiring use of more than 10 mg of prednisone (or its equivalent) per day.
• Other antiviral therapy for chronic hepatitis B within the previous 3 months.
• Sensory or motor neuropathy apparent from medical history and physical examination.

Sponsors & Collaborators

• National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK): lead

Study Sites (1)

National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK)

Bethesda, Maryland, 20892, United States

Location

Related Publications (3)

• Hoofnagle JH, di Bisceglie AM. The treatment of chronic viral hepatitis. N Engl J Med. 1997 Jan 30;336(5):347-56. doi: 10.1056/NEJM199701303360507. No abstract available.

  PMID: 9011789 BACKGROUND

• Perrillo RP, Gelb L, Campbell C, Wellinghoff W, Ellis FR, Overby L, Aach RD. Hepatitis B e antigen, DNA polymerase activity, and infection of household contacts with hepatitis B virus. Gastroenterology. 1979 Jun;76(6):1319-25.

  PMID: 437428 BACKGROUND

• Beasley RP, Hwang LY, Lin CC, Chien CS. Hepatocellular carcinoma and hepatitis B virus. A prospective study of 22 707 men in Taiwan. Lancet. 1981 Nov 21;2(8256):1129-33. doi: 10.1016/s0140-6736(81)90585-7. No abstract available.

  PMID: 6118576 BACKGROUND

MeSH Terms

Conditions

Hepatitis B, Chronic; Hepatitis D, Chronic; Glomerulonephritis; Polyarteritis Nodosa; Hepatitis D; Fibrosis

Interventions

Lamivudine

Condition Hierarchy (Ancestors)

Hepatitis B; Blood-Borne Infections; Communicable Diseases; Infections; Hepadnaviridae Infections; DNA Virus Infections; Virus Diseases; Hepatitis, Viral, Human; Hepatitis, Chronic; Hepatitis; Liver Diseases; Digestive System Diseases; Chronic Disease; Disease Attributes; Pathologic Processes; Pathological Conditions, Signs and Symptoms; RNA Virus Infections; Nephritis; Kidney Diseases; Urologic Diseases; Female Urogenital Diseases; Female Urogenital Diseases and Pregnancy Complications; Urogenital Diseases; Male Urogenital Diseases; Arteritis; Vasculitis; Vascular Diseases; Cardiovascular Diseases; Systemic Vasculitis; Skin Diseases, Vascular; Skin Diseases; Skin and Connective Tissue Diseases

Intervention Hierarchy (Ancestors)

Zalcitabine; Deoxycytidine; Cytidine; Pyrimidine Nucleosides; Pyrimidines; Heterocyclic Compounds, 1-Ring; Heterocyclic Compounds; Deoxyribonucleosides; Nucleosides; Nucleic Acids, Nucleotides, and Nucleosides; Dideoxynucleosides

Study Design

• Study Type: interventional
• Phase: phase 2
• Purpose: TREATMENT
• Sponsor Type: NIH

Study Record Dates

• First Submitted: November 3, 1999
• First Posted: November 4, 1999
• Study Start: September 1, 1995
• Study Completion: September 1, 2005
• Last Updated: March 4, 2008

Record last verified: 2005-09

Locations

US (1)