Tenofovir in the treatment of naïve and refractory chronic Hepatitis B: A single center experience in Saudi Arabia.

Background/Aims: Tenofovir disoproxil fumarate (TDF) is a nucleotide analog used in the treatment of chronic hepatitis B (CHB) infection. This study evaluated the efficacy of TDF in achieving undetectable HBV DNA after 48 weeks of treatment in a Saudi cohort of CHB patients. Patients and Methods: This retrospective study included patients treated at a tertiary care center in Saudi Arabia from January 2009 to December 2012. Of the 68 eligible patients, 51 were treatment naive and 17 were treatment-refractory. Twenty-three patients tested positive for HBeAg. The remaining 45 patients were HBeAg-negative. Results: The mean HBV DNA viral load decreased from 95 million IU/mL at baseline to 263 IU/mL after 48 weeks of treatment ( P P = 0.3). Seroconversion occurred in 13 (57%) of HBeAg-positive patients. Two (3%) of the HBeAg-negative patients lost HBsAg at follow up. Mean alanine aminotransferase decreased significantly from 134 U/L before treatment to 37 U/L at 48 weeks ( P Conclusion: Forty-eight weeks of treatment with TDF reduced HBV DNA to undetectable levels in more than half of our patients regardless of whether they were treatment-naive or refractory. HBeAg-negative (vs positive) patients experienced a better response rate.