Gene/Protein Disease Symptom Drug Enzyme Compound
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Query: UMLS:C0019158 (hepatitis)
 30,205 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

Telbivudine, the prototype member of beta-L-2 -deoxynucleosides, has proven to be safe in in vitro animal and human studies. Telbivudine given for 4 weeks resulted in an 8-log reduction of woodchuck hepatitis virus DNA, and a 3.8-log reduction of hepatitis B virus DNA in human. After 52 weeks of telbivudine treatment there was an approximate 6-log reduction of hepatitis B virus DNA levels, hepatitis B virus DNA became undetectable by PCR assay in 61% of patients. Its antiviral efficacy is significantly better than lamivudine. The probability of tyrosine-methionine-aspartate-aspartate mutations at 52 weeks of telbivudine therapy is low, although still occurring in 4.5% of patients. After 96 weeks of therapy, the proportion of patients with undetectable hepatitis B virus DNA by PCR assay increased to 71%, but genotypic resistance also increased to 18.2%, with only 4.5% showing alanine aminotransferase flares. Telbivudine is probably one of the most potent antiviral agents for hepatitis B virus that will become available in the near future.
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PMID:Telbivudine: an upcoming agent for chronic hepatitis B. 1610 94

Telbivudine is an orally bioavailable L-nucleoside with potent and specific anti-hepatitis B virus activity. The higher rate of hepatitis B e antigen (HBeAg) seroconversion during telbivudine treatment than other potent anti-HBV agents suggests a potential immunomodulatory effect. We sought to determine the effects of telbivudine on the immune system, particularly on cytokine production and T-cell response, using an animal model with mouse hepatitis virus strain 3 (MHV-3)-induced hepatitis. The effects of telbivudine on virus replication and cytokine production were investigated in vitro using MHV-3-infected macrophages, and the effects on T-cell response were investigated in vivo in an MHV-3-induced viral hepatitis model. Telbivudine had no effect on MHV-3 replication in macrophages. However, the production of tumour necrosis factor-alpha and interleukin-12 was increased significantly in MHV-3-induced macrophages treated with telbivudine. In vivo survival was enhanced in telbivudine-treated mice, with marked normalization in clinical conditions and histological lesions. Serum levels of interferon-gamma were elevated significantly after telbivudine treatment in MHV-3-infected C3H mice. In contrast, serum interleukin-4 levels were decreased significantly. Furthermore, telbivudine treatment enhanced the ability of T cells to undergo proliferation and secrete cytokines but did not affect cytotoxicity of infected hepatocytes. Of note, we found that telbivudine treatment suppressed programmed death ligand 1 expression on T cells. The results demonstrate the immunomodulatory properties of telbivudine, independent of its antiviral activity, in a mouse model of MHV-3-induced hepatitis.
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PMID:Telbivudine preserves T-helper 1 cytokine production and downregulates programmed death ligand 1 in a mouse model of viral hepatitis. 2058 31

This prospective study evaluated the viability of telbivudine for blocking mother-to-child transmission (MTCT) of hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection.Pregnant women positive for the hepatitis B surface antigen began telbivudine treatment before 14 weeks of gestation (i.e., early), between 14 and 28 weeks of gestation (late), or not at all (control). In the late-treatment group, 55 women terminated telbivudine therapy within puerperium. All neonates underwent routine hepatitis B immunoglobulin plus vaccination. Mothers and infants were followed for 7 months after birth.Pregnancy outcomes were similar among the 3 groups. HBV MTCT rates in the early and late treatment and control groups were 0, 0, and 4.69%, respectively. The rates of infant vaccination success among the 3 groups were similar, as were neonatal outcomes including birth weights, asphyxia, hyperbilirubinemia, Apgar score, birth defects, and weight and height at 7 months. Puerperal discontinuation of telbivudine did not increase the alanine transaminase value at 7 months after birth, but increased serum HBV DNA levels, and rates of positive hepatitis Be-antigen.Telbivudine treatment in HBV-infected pregnant women was associated with lower serum HBV DNA levels and reduced rates of HBV MTCT; there were no associated changes in pregnancy or neonatal outcomes at birth or 7 months after birth, or in the rate of infant vaccination success. Puerperal drug withdrawal after short-term antiviral therapy will not influence hepatic function, but may increase virus replication.
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PMID:Telbivudine treatment of hepatitis B virus-infected pregnant women at different gestational stages for the prevention of mother-to-child transmission: Outcomes of telbivudine treatment during pregnancy. 2774 37