Intensification of antiviral therapy for chronic hepatitis B with autoleukocyte immunization.

Introduction: The article presents a new method of intensification of antiviral therapy for chronic hepatitis B with intradermal autoleukocyte immunization during treatment with a drug of nucleotide analogues - tenofovir (patent UA 113873 U, 2017); other curative vaccines for chronic hepatitis B are also regarded.

Objective: The research involves patients with chronic hepatitis B (30), whose replication of HBV DNA decreased to a certain level after long-lasting (over 2 years) antiviral therapy, its further reduction ceased. These patients underwent intradermal autoleukocyte immunization for intensification of antiviral therapy.

Method: Leukocytes were isolated from plasma of a patient's heparinized venous blood by centrifuging at 400 g for 8 minutes, after that the precipitate was resuspended in 1-1.5 ml of own blood serum and injected intradermally into the back in the dose 0.1 ml. Immunization was conducted at least 3 times with 30-40-day interval.

Results: Due to autoleukocyte immunization, the process of further decrease in virus reproduction resumed in 24 patients (out of 30; 80%). Out of six other patients (20%), in whom HBV DNA was detected only by supersensitive PCR method (sensitivity to 5 IU/ml) after long-lasting antiviral therapy, a negative result on examination was achieved in 2 individuals (33.33%).

Conclusion: Autoleukocyte immunization intensifies efficiency of antiviral therapy for chronic hepatitis B with a drug from the group of nucleotide analogues.