Figure 7.

Virological responses after treatment discontinuation. (a) Time course of hepatitis B virus (HBV) DNA levels (log10 IU/ml) in sera of chronic hepatitis B (CHB) patients from the control (n = 20) and vaccine (n = 22) groups after treatment discontinuation at W48. As stated in the protocol, two and five patients from the control and vaccine groups did not stop therapy due to virological breakthroughs between W0 and W46. For 6 and 4 from the control and vaccine groups, HBV DNA level was available at only one time point during the off-therapy period because they resume their antiviral treatment without waiting for confirmation of viremia. Bold lines stand for virological responders (VR) defined as a decline of serum HBV DNA levels on two consecutive measurements. Dotted lines correspond to relapsers. (b) HBsAg titers (IU/ml) in relapsers (n = 29), VR (n = 13), and serological responders (SR; n = 4) at W46.