Optimized Treatment and Regression of HBV-induced Compensated Liver Cirrhosis

Optimized Treatment and Regression of HBV-induced Compensated Liver Cirrhosis

Six hundreds patients with chronic hepatitis B clinically diagnosed as compensated liver cirrhosis are randomly assigned in a 1:1 ratio. One arm is entecavir alone for 2 years; the other is entecavir alone for the first 0.5 year, entecavir plus thymosin-α for 1 year, entecavir for another additional 0.5 year.Patients will be assessed at baseline, at every six months for blood cell count, liver function test, HBVDNA, AFP, prothrombin time, liver ultrasonography, and Fibroscan;

Inclusion Criteria:

1. Patients from age 18 to 65 years ;

2. Male or female;

3. Treatment-naive patients of clinically diagnosed as HBV-induced compensated cirrhosis(meet one of the following two criterions);

   1. endoscopy: esophageal varices , exclusion of noncirrhotic portal hypertension

   2. if no endoscopy,should meet two of the four Criterias:

      • Imaging (US, CT or MRI, et al) showing Surface nodularity: Echogenecity
      • Platelet (PLT) < 100×10 < 9 >/L , no other interpretation
      • Albumin (ALB) < 35.0 g/L, or International Standard Value (INR) > 1.3 (Prothrombin Time (PT) prolonged > 3s), or Cholinesterase (CHE) decrease
      • Liver stiffness measurement value > 12.4 kpa (ALT<5×ULN)

4. HBeAg-positive, HBVDNA > 2×10<3> IU/ml or with HBeAg-negative patients, HBVDNA > 2×10<2> IU/ml;

5. Agree to be followed up regularly;

6. Signature of written inform consent.

Exclusion Criteria:

1. Patients with decompensated cirrhosis: including ascites, hepatic encephalopathy, esophageal varices bleeding or other complications of decompensated cirrhosis or hepatocelluar carcinoma;
2. Patients who are allergic to entecavir, thymosin or their components, and those considered not suitable for medicine in this study;
3. Patients with HCV or HIV infection, alcoholic liver disease, autoimmune liver disease, genetic liver disease, drug-induced liver injury, severe non-alcoholic fatty liver disease or other chronic liver diseases;
4. Patients with baseline AFP level higher than 100ng/ml and possible malignant lesion on image, or AFP level higher than 100ng/ml for more than three months;
5. Creatinine > 1.5×ULN;
6. Patients with other uncured malignant tumors;
7. Patients with severe diseases of heart, lung, kidney, brain, blood system or other organs;
8. Patients with any other reasons not suitable for the study.