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Published on: October 20, 2021
[An analysis of clinical features in HBeAg-negative and HBeAg-positive chronic hepatitis B]
Xiao-juan Ou1, Xiao-ming Wang, Bao-en Wang
1Liver Research Center, Beijing Friendship Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing 100050, China. ouxj16@sina.com
Insights
HBeAg-negative chronic hepatitis B patients are older and have longer disease histories. Despite lower ALT and HBV DNA, significant disease progression occurs, necessitating tailored clinical management for this group.
Area of Science:
- Hepatology
- Virology
- Immunology
Context:
- Chronic hepatitis B (CHB) is a global health concern.
- Distinguishing between HBeAg-negative and HBeAg-positive CHB is crucial for management.
- Understanding disease progression in different CHB phenotypes is essential.
Purpose:
- To analyze the clinical and virological features of HBeAg-negative versus HBeAg-positive CHB.
- To compare disease progression markers between the two groups.
- To evaluate histopathological findings in relation to HBeAg status.
Summary:
- A study of 417 CHB patients revealed HBeAg-negative individuals were older with longer disease duration.
- Despite lower ALT and HBV DNA levels, HBeAg-negative CHB showed significant disease progression and fibrosis.
- Histopathological scores for inflammation and fibrosis did not significantly differ, but advanced fibrosis was common in both groups.
Impact:
- Findings highlight the need for vigilant monitoring and management of HBeAg-negative CHB due to potential for significant disease progression.
- This research may inform the development of improved clinical strategies for managing HBeAg-negative CHB.
- The study contributes to a better understanding of CHB heterogeneity and its clinical implications.
Objectives:
To analyze the frequency and the clinical and virological features of HBeAg-negative and HBeAg-positive chronic hepatitis B.
Methods:
Four hundred and seventeen chronic hepatitis B patients, 286 males and 131 females seen in our center were studied. Liver biopsies were taken from 83 patients.
Results:
The cases with HBeAg-negative chronic hepatitis B were 241 (57.8%), with an average age of 43.7+/-10.8 and a history of 16.8+/-8.5 years. HBeAg-positive chronic hepatitis B cases were 176 (42.2%), with an average age of 36.95+/-11 and a history of 12.3+/-8.0 years. HBeAg-negative patients were significantly older (P < 0.01) in age and had a longer disease history. ALT levels and the percentage of HBV DNA were higher than 10(5) copies/ml in HBeAg-negative patients and were significantly lower than those in the HBeAg-positive patients [(37.66+/-32.93) U/L vs. (82.09+/-107.57) U/L, 38.2% vs. 94.3%, P < 0.01]. Liver biopsies from 47 HBeAg-negative patients showed that the number of cases with inflammation scores of G1, G2, G3 and G4 were 5, 27, 14, 1 and the number of cases with fibrosis scores of S1, S2, S3 and S4 were 10, 12, 5, 20, respectively. In the 36 HBeAg-negative patients the respective number of cases with inflammation scores of G1, G2, G3 and G4 were 5, 14, 15, 2, and with fibrosis scores of S1, S2, S3, S4 were 8, 12, 6, 10. Although histopathological inflammation and fibrosis scores had no statistical difference between HBeAg-negative and positive patients (P > 0.05), 53.2% patients of HBeAg-negative group and 44.5% patients of HBeAg-positive group had a fibrosis score of >or= S3.
Conclusion:
Despite lower serum ALT and HBV DNA, HBeAg-negative chronic hepatitis B still has a significant disease progression. This observation may help to develop better clinical management in HBeAg-negative chronic hepatitis B patients.
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