Serum hepatitis B core-related antigen as a surrogate marker of hepatitis B e antigen seroconversion in chronic hepatitis B  

作　　者：Xiu-Mei Chi Xiao-Mei Wang Zhong-Feng Wang Rui-Hong Wu Xiu-Zhu Gao Hong-Qin Xu Yan-Hua Ding Jun-Qi Niu 

机构地区：[1]Department of Hepatology,Key Laboratory of Zoonosis Research,Ministry Education,The First Hospital of Jilin University,Changchun 130021,Jilin Province,China [2]Phase I Clinical Trials Unit,The First Hospital of Jilin University,Changchun 130021,Jilin Province,China

出　　处：《World Journal of Gastroenterology》2021年第40期6927-6938,共12页世界胃肠病学杂志（英文版）

基　　金：by National Science and Technology Major Project,No.2017ZX10302201,No.2017ZX09304004 and No.2014ZX10002002;National Program on Key Basic Research Project(973 Program),No.2015CB554304.

摘　　要：BACKGROUND Quantitative hepatitis B core-related antigen(qHBcrAg)has a better correlation with intrahepatic hepatitis B virus(HBV)covalently closed circular DNA(cccDNA)than HBV DNA or hepatitis B e antigen(HBeAg),but data are still lacking for its clinical application.AIM The aim was to investigate serum qHBcrAg levels in patients with chronic hepatitis B and assess the correlation of serum qHBcrAg with pregenomic RNA(pgRNA),cccDNA,and HBeAg seroconversion.METHODS This study was a secondary analysis of patients who underwent percutaneous liver biopsy between July 2014 and June 2019 in two multicenter randomized controlled clinical trials of peginterferon vs nucleos(t)ide analog(NUC)-based therapy(NCT03509688 and NCT03546530).Serum qHBcrAg,pgRNA,HBV DNA,hepatitis B core antigen,HBeAg,liver cccDNA,and HBV DNA were measured.The correlations of serum qHBcrAg with other biomarkers were analyzed.RESULTS A total of 139 patients were included.The mean qHBcrAg levels were 5.32±1.18 log10 U/mL at baseline and decreased during treatment(all P<0.0001).Serum qHBcrAg levels were positively correlated with pgRNA(r=0.597,P<0.0001)and cccDNA(r=0.527,P<0.0001)levels.The correlation of serum qHBcrAg level and intrahepatic HBV DNA levels at baseline was weak but significant(r=0.399,P<0.0001).HBcrAg predicted HBeAg seroconversion,with areas under the receiver operating characteristics curve of 0.788 at 24 wk and 0.825 at 48 wk.Log HBcrAg at wk 24 and 48 was independently associated with HBeAg seroconversion[odds ratio(OR)=2.402,95%confidence interval(CI):1.314-4.391,P=0.004;OR=3.587,95%CI:1.315-9.784,P=0.013].CONCLUSION Serum HBcrAg levels were correlated with HBV virological markers and could be used to predict HBeAg seroconversion.

关 键 词：Hepatitis B virus Hepatitis B core antigen Hepatitis B virus DNA Detection Liver biopsy Pregenomic RNA Quantitative hepatitis B core-related antigen Receiver operating characteristic SEROCONVERSION Correlation 

分 类 号：R512.62[医药卫生—内科学]