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Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction-Based Detection and Quantification of Hepatitis B Virus DNA
04:11

Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction-Based Detection and Quantification of Hepatitis B Virus DNA

Published on: December 15, 2023

The change of the quantitative HBsAg level during the natural course of chronic hepatitis B

Yu J Kim1, Hyun C Cho, Moon S Choi

  • 1Department of Medicine, Samsung Medical Center, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.

Liver International : Official Journal of the International Association for the Study of the Liver
|June 8, 2011
PubMed

Insights

Hepatitis B e antigen (HBeAg) levels vary across chronic hepatitis B (CHB) phases and correlate with hepatitis B virus (HBV) DNA, aiding in understanding CHB progression.

Area of Science:

  • Hepatology
  • Virology
  • Immunology

Background:

  • Limited data exists on hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) levels and their relationship with serum hepatitis B virus (HBV) DNA in chronic hepatitis B (CHB).
  • Understanding these correlations is crucial for characterizing CHB phases and pathogenesis.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To delineate HBsAg levels across different phases of CHB.
  • To investigate the correlation between HBsAg and serum HBV DNA levels in treatment-naïve CHB patients.

Main Methods:

  • Retrospective cross-sectional study of 645 treatment-naïve Korean CHB patients.
  • Patients categorized into immune tolerance (IT), HBeAg-positive hepatitis (EPH), inactive carrier (IC), and HBeAg-negative hepatitis (ENH) phases.
  • Baseline HBsAg and HBV DNA levels were quantified.

Main Results:

  • Significant differences in mean HBsAg titres were observed across CHB phases (P<0.001).
  • HBsAg and HBV DNA showed a significant positive correlation overall (r=0.693, P<0.001) and in IT, EPH, and IC groups, but not in the ENH group.
  • Age and cirrhosis status were negatively correlated with HBsAg levels.

Conclusions:

  • HBsAg levels exhibit significant variation across CHB phases.
  • HBsAg correlates with HBV DNA in the immune tolerance, HBeAg-positive hepatitis, and inactive carrier phases.
  • These findings enhance the understanding of CHB natural history and disease mechanisms.
Abstract

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