Telbivudine Versus Lamivudine in Adults With Decompensated Chronic Hepatitis B and Evidence of Cirrhosis

Clinical response defined as achieving all of the following 3 criteria on at least 2 consecutive visits or at the last on-treatment visit: Serum hepatitis B virus (HBV) DNA < 4 log10 copies/mL, normal Alanine transaminase (ALT) level (ALT ≤ Upper Limit of Normal (ULN)), and improvement (a 2- point or greater reduction in Child-Turcotte-Pugh (CTP) score) or stabilization (not more than a 1-point change in CTP score), compared to the baseline value. CTP scores range from 5-15, higher scores indicate more liver impairment. For Improvement/Stabilization, either of the individual criteria were met.

Time to Clinical Response defined as the number of days elapsed from the baseline visit to achieving initial Clinical Response.

Kaplan-Meier method was used. The duration was calculated as: date of last visit before initial loss of clinical response - date of initial clinical response occurred+1. If a patient did not lose clinical response, it was then censored at the efficacy overall censoring date.

Child-Turcotte-Pugh (CTP) uses 2 clinical variables, ascites and encephalopathy, and 3 laboratory parameters, serum bilirubin, albumin, and prothrombin time. Each variable is assigned a score from 1 to 3, with the combined score comprising the CTP score range of 5 to 15 points. Higher scores indicate more impaired liver function. "Worsening" of CTP score was defined as a 2-point or greater increase from baseline, "improvement" in CTP score was defined as a 2-point or greater reduction from baseline, and "stabilization" of CTP score was defined as a change of 1-point or less from baseline.

Modified CTP was calculated using the 3 biochemical-components (serum bilirubin, albumin, and prothrombin). Total scores range from 3-9; higher scores indicate more liver impairment. Improvement was defined as 2-point or greater reduction in score from baseline. Stabilization comprises a score change of 1-point or less from baseline. Worsening of CTP score was defined as a 2-point or greater increase from baseline. The rationale for assessing changes in this modified (3-component) CTP score is that this maneuver removed the two subjective components of CTP scoring (ascites and encephalopathy).