The role of quantitative HBsAg in the natural history of e antigen-negative chronic hepatitis B: A Tunisian prospective study.
Infect Dis Now
; 51(5): 464-469, 2021 Aug.
Article
in En
| MEDLINE
| ID: mdl-34366082
ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND/AIMS:
During the natural course of Chronic Hepatitis B (CHB) infection, differentiation between inactive carrier (IC) and HBeAg negative CHB is a subject of ongoing debate. We studied the role of hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) level as a means of differentiating between CHB and IC in a group of untreated chronic HBeAg-negative HBV-infected patients. STUDY A total of 115 HBeAg negative carriers were enrolled and followed up for>12 months; 78 as inactive carriers (IC), and 37 as active carriers (AC). Among ACs, patients were categorized according to the highest rate of viral load AC1 (n=23), active carriers with persistent HBV-DNA<20,000 IU/mL; AC2 (n=14), active carriers with HBV-DNA>20,000 IU/mL.RESULTS:
HBsAg levels were higher in AC compared to IC patients (1607 IU/ml vs. 225 IU/ml respectively, P=0.001). Among the AC group, the 23 AC1 cases had HBsAg levels significantly lower than the 14 AC2 patients (1756 IU/mL vs. 3327 IU/mL respectively; P<10-3). HBsAg showed weak correlation with HBV-DNA in the whole cohort (r=0.44, P<0.01). The suggested cutoff value of HBsAg titer to differentiate between the two groups was 938 IU/mL. Combined single-point quantification of HBsAg (938 IU/mL) and HBV DNA (2000 IU/mL) identified IC with 87.2% specificity and 91.7% positive predictive value.CONCLUSION:
This study confirms the predictability of a one-time combined HBsAg and HBV DNA measurement for true inactive carriers requiring neither strict follow-up nor antiviral treatment.Key words
Full text:
1
Collection:
01-internacional
Database:
MEDLINE
Main subject:
Hepatitis B, Chronic
/
Hepatitis B e Antigens
Type of study:
Diagnostic_studies
/
Observational_studies
/
Prognostic_studies
/
Risk_factors_studies
Limits:
Humans
Language:
En
Journal:
Infect Dis Now
Year:
2021
Document type:
Article