[Is it possible to stop treatment with nucleos(t)ide analogs in patients with e-antigen negative chronic hepatitis B? Experience and new expectations]. / ¿Es posible suspender el tratamiento con antivirales orales en los pacientes con hepatitis crónica B antígeno e negativa? Experiencia y nuevas expectativas.

BACKGROUND: Treatment of HBeAg-negative chronic hepatitis B (CHB) with nucleos(t)ide analogues (NA) is usually indefinite, since the loss of HBsAg, as a criterion for its discontinuation, is a rare event. Recent evidence suggests that discontinuing NA therapy may be feasible in selected patients. OBJECTIVES: To analyze the rate of virological relapse in patients with HBeAg-negative CHB who discontinued treatment with NAs. METHODS: We performed a single-center observational study that included 140 patients with HBsAg-negative CHB. Twenty-two patients, who received only NAs, discontinued treatment for different reasons and were subsequently monitored. All had normal ALT and AST, undetectable DNA and absence of cirrhosis or significant comorbidities before stopping treatment. RESULTS: Twelve patients showed virologic relapse (54.54%). The mean interval between discontinuation and relapse was 6.38 months (± 1.9) (75% relapsed during the first 12 months after discontinuation). Five received adefovir, 1 lamivudine and adefovir, 1 tenofovir and 5 lamivudine alone. The mean treatment duration in this group was 38.5 months (± 4.5). The sustained response group had a higher mean age and longer treatment duration than patients with virologic relapse but these differences were not statistically significant. CONCLUSIONS: The results suggest that NA treatment can be stopped in selected patients with CHB as long as they are not cirrhotic, have completed a minimum period of treatment, have normal ALT and sustained undetectable DNA. These patients should be closely monitored during the first year and then indefinitely.

[HBeAg-positive chronic hepatitis B treatment with oral antiviral agents: experience and results in clinical practice]. / Tratamiento de la hepatitis crónica B antígeno e positiva con antivirales orales: experiencia y resultados en la práctica clínica.

INTRODUCTION: Due to globalization and migratory movements, HBeAg+ chronic hepatitis B is becoming increasingly important in Spain. OBJECTIVE: To analyze the epidemiological features, progression, and treatment response to oral antiviral agents (OA) in HBeAg+ chronic hepatitis B patients in our area. MATERIAL AND METHODS: We analyzed 436 patients with chronic hepatitis B infection followed up at the Ramón y Cajal Hospital from 1990 to June 2012. RESULTS: Sixty-five patients (14.9%) had HBeAg+ chronic hepatitis B. Seven patients in the immunotolerant phase were not treated, while the remaining 58 received treatment. Four patients were excluded: two due to severe acute hepatitis, one due to hepatitis C virus coinfection and another because of a Delta virus coinfection. Of the remaining 54 patients, 19 received interferon with or without OA, and 35 received only OA. Two patients treated for less than 1 month were not included in the analysis. The analysis was finally performed in 33 patients. The mean duration of treatment was 46.81 months (6-138). Lamivudine was the most frequently prescribed drug (39.39%) followed by tenofovir (24.24%) and entecavir (21.21%). The mean age was 42.08±14 years and 75.75% (25/33) of the patients were male. Nineteen of 33 patients (57.57%) achieved seroconversion to anti-HBe, and 27.27% (9/33) showed clearance of HBsAg. There was no evidence of HBsAg reversion after a mean follow-up of 35.6 months. There were 8 cases of resistance in 7 patients: 7 to lamivudine and 1 to adefovir. CONCLUSIONS: Approximately 15% of chronic hepatitis B patients in our area are HBeAg+. Treatment with OA achieves a high seroconversion rate (57.57%) and a considerable percentage of HBsAg clearance (27.27%).

Acute pancreatitis secondary to neuroendocrine pancreatic tumors: report of 3 cases and literature review.

Pancreatic tumors (particularly neuroendocrine) are an uncommon cause of acute pancreatitis (AP). This is a report of 3 cases of acute pancreatitis secondary to advanced neuroendocrine tumors and a literature review. Including these cases, only 30 have been reported. Most cases are non-functioning, diagnosed in an advanced stage, associating mild pancreatitis and in patients older than forty. Pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors are an uncommon cause of AP but must be included in the differential diagnosis of this disease, especially if the patient is older than 40 and the etiology of the AP is not clear.