{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,10,23]],"date-time":"2026-10-23T12:00:42Z","timestamp":1792756842385,"version":"4.5.0"},"reference-count":29,"publisher":"Ovid Technologies (Wolters Kluwer Health)","issue":"3","content-domain":{"domain":["lww.com","ovid.com"],"crossmark-restriction":true},"short-container-title":[],"published-print":{"date-parts":[[2017,5]]},"abstract":"\n Background\/Aims:<\/jats:title>\n The ideal end point of treatment for chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection is sustained off-therapy hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) loss with or even without seroconversion to anti-HBs. We investigated the role of adding PEGylated interferon (PEG IFN) to ongoing tenofovir treatment in chronic HBV patients for achieving HBsAg clearance.<\/jats:p>\n <\/jats:sec>\n \n Patients and Methods:<\/jats:title>\n In this randomized controlled trial, chronic HBV patients who have been receiving tenofovir for >6 months with HBV viral load <2000 IU\/ml were randomized into two groups. One group (add-on therapy) was given subcutaneous PEG IFN 180 mcg weekly for 12 months in addition to tenofovir. Patients in the other group received only tenofovir 300 mg orally on a daily basis. Patients in both groups were followed up for a total of two years, and patients in both groups were given tenofovir 300 mg daily indefinitely until they developed HBsAg clearance.<\/jats:p>\n <\/jats:sec>\n \n Results:<\/jats:title>\n \n Twenty-three patients were allocated to the PEG IFN and tenofovir (add-on therapy) group, and another 25 patients were recruited to the tenofovir monotherapy group. Before randomization, patients had received tenofovir for 1135 mean days (range203 to 1542 days). One patient (4.3%) in add-on therapy lost HBsAg and seroconverted. Within two years, mean HBsAg decreased significantly with add-on therapy (from 4753 IU\/ml to 2402;\n P<\/jats:italic>\n = 0.03); and it decreased from 5957 IU\/ml to 4198;\n P<\/jats:italic>\n = 0.09 in tenofovir monotherapy group. More patients in the add-on group developed serious side effects, with treatment discontinuation, and dose reductions (\n P<\/jats:italic>\n = 0.3).\n <\/jats:p>\n <\/jats:sec>\n \n Conclusion:<\/jats:title>\n PEG IFN and tenofovir add-on therapy was successful in achieving HBsAg clearance and seroconversion in 4.3% of the patients. Add-on therapy patients had a significant decrease in HBsAg levels in two years; and no significant decrease in HBsAg levels with the tenofovir monotherapy. With no significant HBsAg clearance, the utility of this combination regimen is questionable.<\/jats:p>\n <\/jats:sec>","DOI":"10.4103\/sjg.sjg_541_16","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2023,3,29]],"date-time":"2023-03-29T06:15:25Z","timestamp":1680070525000},"page":"190-198","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1097\/lww.0000000000001000","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":13,"title":["HBsAg clearance in chronic hepatitis B patients with add-on pegylated interferon alfa-2a to ongoing tenofovir treatment: A randomized controlled study"],"prefix":"10.4103","volume":"23","author":[{"given":"Hamad","family":"Al Ashgar","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Medicine, Section of Gastroenterology, King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Centre, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Musthafa C.","family":"Peedikayil","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Medicine, Section of Gastroenterology, King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Centre, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Mohammed","family":"Al Quaiz","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Medicine, Section of Gastroenterology, King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Centre, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Fahad","family":"Al Sohaibani","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Medicine, Section of Gastroenterology, King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Centre, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Abdulrahman","family":"Al Fadda","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Medicine, Section of Gastroenterology, King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Centre, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Mohammed Q.","family":"Khan","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Medicine, Section of Gastroenterology, King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Centre, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Einar","family":"Thoralsson","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Medicine, Section of Gastroenterology, King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Centre, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Sahar","family":"Al Thawadi","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Microbiology Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Centre, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Ahmed","family":"Al Jedai","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Pharmaceutical Care Services, King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Centre, Riyadh, Saudi 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