Is long-acting interferon effective in treating chronic hepatitis B

Chronic hepatitis B is a serious health hazard that affects the lives of patients, and the pursuit of a “cure” is the dream of every patient. The closest clinical cure for chronic hepatitis B treatment is HBsAg clearance, which is often referred to as “cap removal”. When comparing the two types of antiviral treatment options: long-acting interferon and nucleoside analogs, long-acting interferon has certain advantages in achieving a clinical cure. Because nucleoside analogs control the disease by permanently inhibiting HBVDNA replication, while interferon has a dual action mechanism of antiviral and immunomodulation, and can stimulate the immunity of the responder, so the chances of achieving HBeAg serological conversion and even HBsAg clearance are higher. If patients have no contraindications to interferon, they can consider choosing long-acting interferon therapy. In particular, patients who are relatively young, high enzyme and low toxicity, that is, relatively strong immune function, are more advantageous patients for long-acting interferon therapy, and they have a higher chance of achieving clinical cure by receiving long-acting interferon. Clinical studies have confirmed that in HBeAg-positive Hepatitis B patients with high enzymes and low toxicity in the initial treatment of Hepatitis B in large triplets, pegylated interferon alpha-2a was treated for 48 weeks and the HBeAg serological conversion rate exceeded 60% 24 weeks after discontinuation of the drug. And such patients can achieve a 30% HBsAg clearance rate 3 years after drug discontinuation. However, achieving a clinical cure is not a one-day process. The efficacy of interferon requires adequate treatment time, and attention should be paid to following medical advice and administering the full dose and course of medication during treatment. After receiving long-acting interferon treatment, in order to achieve better efficacy, it is important to actively cooperate with HBsAg quantification, which is a vane of long-acting interferon treatment and can help us understand the efficacy of long-acting interferon and guide the adjustment of the treatment plan. If you see a rapid decline in HBsAg quantification during treatment, it suggests that you have a better chance of achieving clinical cure and should adhere to your treatment. Conversely, treatment regimens may need to be adjusted based on the physician’s judgment. Some adverse reactions may occur with long-acting interferon, the most common being flu-like symptoms such as fever, malaise, and generalized aches and pains. Most of these adverse reactions are controllable and manageable, and will gradually decrease or even disappear with the duration of treatment. It is important to be aware of these adverse reactions and to communicate with your doctor so that you can actively respond to them once they occur and avoid interrupting your treatment at will and missing your chance for success.