Table 1.

Rates of sustained virologic and biochemical response to PEG-IFN in HBeAg-positive chronic hepatitis B^a

Response after 24–26 weeks of follow-up	PEG-IFN α-2a duration of treatment,48 wk (N = 271)	PEG-IFN α-2b duration of treatment,52 wk (N = 136)
HBV DNA <105 copies/mL	32%	27%
HBV DNA <400 copies/mL	14%	7%
HBeAg clearance	34%	36%
HBeAg seroconversion	32%	29%
HBsAg clearance	3%	7%
HBsAg seroconversion	3%	5%
ALT normalization	41%	32%

^aDifferent assays were used for quantification of HBV DNA in these studies

ALT alanine aminotransferase; HBeAg hepatitis B e antigen; HBsAg hepatitis B surface antigen; HBV hepatitis B virus; PEG-IFN pegylated interferon

(Data from Janssen et al. [18] and Lau et al. [19])