Objective: To evaluate the effect of diammonium glycyrrhizinate on the antiviral therapy with adefovir dipivoxil (ADV) in patients with HBeAg-positive chronic hepatitis B.
Methods: Patients with HBeAg-positive chronic hepatitis B enrolled in this study were randomized to receive either ADV 10 mg/d fir 48 weeks or placebo for 24 weeks followed by ADV 10 mg/d for 24 weeks. Antiviral activities of diammonium glycyrrhizinate administered during the trial were studied with respect to virological and serologic response, and ALT normalization.
Results: Twenty-one of 142 patients in ADV group vs. 11 of 68 patients in placebo group were treated with diammonium glycyrrhizinate. There was no significant difference in virological, serological and biochemical responses between patients with or without diammonium glycyrrhizinate in both therapy groups. During double-blind period, virological response was significantly worse in patients only receiving diammonium glycyrrhizinate than those combined with ADV.
Conclusion: Diammonium glycyrrhizinate had no antiviral activity and exerts no influence on the efficacy of ADV treatment in patients with HBeAg-positive chronic hepatitis B.