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Published on: February 1, 2017
Circulating HBV RNA and HBsAg seroconversion in patients with chronic HBV infection: a long-term follow-up study
Jia-Feng Wu1,2, Chien-Ting Hsu3, Chi-San Tai1
1Pediatrics, National Taiwan University Hospital, Taipei City, Taiwan.
Background:
HBV surface antigen (HBsAg) seroconversion indicates the clearance of HBV in patients with chronic HBV infection.
Objective:
We aimed to investigate the predictive value of HBV RNA and HBV mutants on HBsAg seroconversion in patients with chronic HBV infection from childhood to adulthood.
Design:
We recruited 700 children (409 males and 291 females) with initially hepatitis B e antigen (HBeAg)-positive chronic HBV infection. With the mean initial visit age of 7.28 years (95% CI 7.03 to 7.62 years), they were followed for 15 912 person-years at our institution. Serum samples collected after HBeAg seroconversion in HBeAg seroconverters were analysed for circulating HBV RNA, HBsAg, HBV core-related antigen, HBV DNA levels and the percentage of HBV mutants.
Results:
23 subjects (3.29%) experienced HBsAg seroconversion following antiviral therapy, while another 27 (3.86%) achieved spontaneous HBsAg seroconversion in this cohort. The annual probability of HBsAg seroconversion is 0.32% (95% CI 0.30% to 0.33%) per person-year across the entire cohort. After HBeAg seroconversion, the spontaneous annual HBsAg seroconversion rate is 0.47% (95% CI 0.42% to 0.51%) per person-year, and it rises to 1.30% (95% CI 1.10% to 1.51%) per person-year in subjects who had previously received antiviral agents before HBeAg seroconversion. Undetectable circulating HBV RNA and the percentage of A2131C mutants <10% after HBeAg seroconversion are significant predictors of HBsAg seroconversion in both univariate and multivariate survival analyses.
Conclusion:
In this long-term chronic HBV cohort, we elucidated both the natural course and antiviral-related HBsAg seroconversion. Undetectable circulating HBV RNA and percentage of A2131C mutants <10% after HBeAg seroconversion are novel and independent predictors of HBsAg seroconversion.
