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. 2010 Summer;10(3):215-7.
Epub 2010 Sep 1.

Amazing results with hydroxyurea therapy in chronic hepatitis B: a preliminary report

Hessam Hassanzadeh Kashani  1 , Aliakbar Vossoughi, Peyman Adibi, Seyed Moayed Alavian
Affiliations

Amazing results with hydroxyurea therapy in chronic hepatitis B: a preliminary report

Hessam Hassanzadeh Kashani et al. Hepat Mon. 2010 Summer.

Abstract

Background and aims: To introduce the possible role of hydroxyurea (HU), a well-characterized antineoplastic drug with established antiviral effects, in the treatment of chronic hepatitis B.

Methods: Four antiretroviral-naïve patients with chronic hepatitis B were enrolled in this limited pilot trial, and given 1000 mg/day of hydroxyurea for 4 weeks; then, the administration of the drug was suspended for 4 weeks. A clinical study and laboratory safety assessments and measurements of viral load were made at baseline, after drug therapy, and after one month suspension of the treatment

Results: All 4 patients showed a significant decrease in viral load after 4 weeks of hydroxyurea therapy and the viral load of 2 patients increased again after a 4-week suspension of hydroxyurea

Conclusions: Our data demonstrate that the old low-cost antineoplastic drug, hydroxyurea, efficiently blocks hepatitis B virus (HBV) replication. We suggest that HU will play an important role in the treatment of chronic hepatitis in the foreseeable future. Further studies including those that evaluate optimal dosing in long-term use will continue to define the role of HU in the treatment of HBV infection alone or in combination with other antiviral drugs.

Keywords: Antiviral Therapy; Chronic Hepatitis B; HBV; Hydroxyurea.

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Figures

Fig 1
Fig 1
Kinetics of HBV during study (logarithmic).
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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