About Jules Dienstag, MD

Clinical Interests:

Treats:

Locations

Mass General Gastroenterology
55 Fruit St.
Boston, MA 02114
GI Associates Office: 617-726-2426

Medical Education

  • MD, Columbia University College of Physicians & Surgeons
  • Residency, University of Chicago Hospitals
  • Fellowship, Massachusetts General Hospital

American Board Certifications

  • Internal Medicine, American Board of Internal Medicine

Note: This provider may accept more insurance plans than shown; please call the practice to find out if your plan is accepted.


Research

Dr. Dienstag's primary research interest is in viral hepatitis. Among his contributions have been basic virologic, experimental animal-model, immunologic and immunopathogenetic, genetic, epidemiologic, vaccination and antiviral studies of hepatitis A, B, C, and D viruses.

Dr. Dienstag's recent research efforts have focused on antiviral therapy for chronic viral hepatitis. Dr. Dienstag has participated in clinical trials of interferon therapy for chronic hepatitis C; in combination with the nucleoside analog ribavirin; in naive, relapsing and nonresponder patients; with different formulations of standard interferon; with long-acting, pegylated, preparations and with directly acting antiviral agents (e.g., protease inhibitors).

Dr. Dienstag led one of 10 Clinical Center teams nationwide in an multiyear trial of protracted antiviral therapy for patients refractory to treatment for chronic hepatitis C. This study, designated the HALT-C (Hepatitis Antiviral Long-term Treatment against Cirrhosis) Trial, was designed to test the hypothesis that long-term interferon therapy, even in biochemical/virologic nonresponders to interferon, can limit histologic and clinical progression. The HALT-C Trial also included a series of ancillary studies that defined virologic alterations during protracted therapy and during the natural progression of disease and provided a rich source of clinical material, which shed light on the process of fibrosis and hepatocarcinogenesis.

Dr. Dienstag was the leading US academic clinical investigator in the development of lamivudine as the 1st approved orally administered nucleoside analog for the treatment of chronic hepatitis B.

Publications

  • Select Publications:

    • Di Bisceglie AM, Shiffman ML, Everson GT, Lindsay KL, Everhart JE, Wright EC, Lee WM, Lok AS, Bonkovsky HL, Morgan TR, Ghany MG, Morishima C, Snow KK, Dienstag JL. Prolonged therapy of advanced chronic hepatitis C with low dose peginterferon. N Engl J Med 2008;359:2429 [PMID 19052125]
    • Di Bisceglie AM, Stoddard AM, Dienstag JL, et al. Excess mortality in patients with advanced chronic hepatitis C treated with long-term peginterferon. Hepatology 2011; 53:1100 [PMID: 21480316]
    • Dienstag JL, Ghany MG, Morgan TR, Di Bisceglie AM, Bonkovsky HL, Kim H-Y, et al. A prospective study of the rate of progression in compensated, histologically advanced chronic hepatitis C. Hepatology 2011 [PMID: 21520194]