Gene/Protein Disease Symptom Drug Enzyme Compound
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Query: EC:2.6.1.2 (alanine aminotransferase)
 26,722 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

We conducted a randomized, placebo-controlled clinical study evaluating famciclovir (500 mg 3 times daily and 1.5 g once daily) for 1 year (6 months post-treatment follow-up) in patients with chronic hepatitis B e antigen (HBeAg)-positive hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection. The study was conducted in 80 centers in North America, Europe, and Australia/New Zealand. A total of 417 patients with histologically documented chronic hepatitis B (histologic activity index [HAI] 9.5-11.0) received famciclovir (500 mg 3 times daily or 1.5 g once daily) or placebo. Famciclovir 500 mg 3 times daily significantly reduced HBV DNA and median HAI scores versus placebo. By week 8, median HBV DNA decreased from 1,645 to 283 MEq/mL (famciclovir 500 mg 3 times daily) and from 1,147 to 304 MEq/mL (famciclovir 1.5 g once daily), while increasing for placebo (1,617 to 1,685 MEq/mL). Median change in HBV DNA at the end of therapy was -76% (famciclovir 500 mg 3 times daily; P <.01) and -60% (famciclovir 1.5 g once daily; P =.25) versus -37% for placebo. Median change in HAI was -1.5 points (famciclovir 500 mg 3 times daily; P =.02) and -1.0 point (famciclovir 1.5 g once daily; P =.35) and zero for placebo. Fifty percent of patients receiving famciclovir 500 mg 3 times daily (P =.07) and 43% receiving 1.5 g once daily (P =.41) experienced >/=2 points improvement in HAI versus 37% for placebo. Nine percent of patients treated with famciclovir 500 mg 3 times daily underwent anti-HBeAg seroconversion with undetectable HBV DNA at end of follow-up versus 3% in the placebo group (P =.05). Famciclovir was well tolerated; the incidence of post-treatment alanine transaminase (ALT) elevations was comparable with placebo. In conclusion, famciclovir 500 mg 3 times daily gave modest suppression of viral replication, but translated into significant histologic improvement in median HAI score at 1 year.
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PMID:A randomized, placebo-controlled study to evaluate the efficacy of 12-month famciclovir treatment in patients with chronic hepatitis B e antigen-positive hepatitis B. 1091 54

Famciclovir is a novel guanosine nucleoside analogue with activity against herpes viruses and hepatitis B virus (HBV). Several preliminary reports have described efficacy of famciclovir in patients with recurrent hepatitis B after orthotopic liver transplantation (OLT). This report describes the largest study to date of long-term famciclovir treatment in patients with de novo or recurrent hepatitis B post-OLT. One hundred thirty patients with detectable serum HBV DNA after OLT received oral famciclovir 500 mg tid on a compassionate-use basis. Safety analyses included all treated patients; efficacy was assessed in all patients and a subgroup of 73 patients with complete baseline HBV DNA and alanine aminotransferase (ALT) data who had received > or =6 months of treatment. Efficacy parameters included serum levels of HBV DNA, ALT, and anti-HBe or anti-HBs seroconversion rates. Of the 70 patients treated for > or =6 months who could be evaluated for response/non-response to famciclovir, 52 (74%) were responders, defined as patients who experienced a 70% decrease or more in HBV DNA levels from baseline, or who became HBV DNA-negative, for at least two consecutive visits. In famciclovir responders, HBV DNA levels decreased by a median of 91% after 12 weeks of treatment, 95% after 6 months and >99% after 18 months of treatment. Marked differentiation between responders and non-responders could be made soon after the onset of treatment. Among anti-HBe positive patients with evidence of HBV replication, 12/13 were responders. Patients with high baseline ALT levels experienced more rapid suppression of HBV DNA during therapy with famciclovir. Famciclovir therapy was safe and well tolerated; serious adverse events were reported infrequently. Famciclovir treatment may be beneficial in patients with hepatitis B infection post-OLT.
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PMID:Famciclovir treatment of hepatitis B infection following liver transplantation: a long-term, multi-centre study. 1142 35