Effect of nucleoside analogues in the treatment of hepatitis B cirrhosis and its effect on Th17 cell.

OBJECTIVE: We conducted this study to analyze the effects of nucleoside analogues in the treatment of hepatitis B cirrhosis and its effect on Th17 cells. PATIENTS AND METHODS: 120 patients were randomly divided into lamivudine combined with adefovir dipivoxil group (combined group) and entecavir group. There were 59 cases in the combined group and 59 cases in entecavir group. The combined group was administered lamivudine 100 mg/d + adefovir dipivoxil 10 mg/d and entecavir group was administered entecavir 0.5 mg/d. The treatment was continued until there was virus negativity and it maintains for at least 3 months. RESULTS: The treatment effects were compared. We compared the average rate of viral clearance time and virus clearance of two groups of patients; the difference was not statistically significant (p>0.05). The relapse rate after a negative test of entecavir group was lower than that of the combined group (p<0.05). Before and after treatment, the levels of TBIL, ALT and ALB in the two groups were compared; the differences were not statistically significant (p>0.05). The Th17 cell proportion and the level of IL-17 after treatment of the entecavir group were lower than those before treatment. The combined group exhibited no change, and the entecavir group was lower than combined group; the differences were statistically significant (p<0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Therefore, the effects of the combination of lamivudine and adefovir dipivoxil is the same as single entecavir treatment of hepatitis B cirrhosis suppression of viral replication. It does not increase liver injury and the antiviral effects of entecavir may be related to inhibition of the expression of Th17 cells and effector molecules IL-17.