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Hepatitis Be antigen and antibody in chronic liver diseases and hepatocellular carcinoma
Insights
Hepatitis B e antigen (HBeAg) and antibody (anti-HBe) presence was studied in chronic liver disease and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) patients. Anti-HBe is a chronologic indicator of long-term Hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) carriage.
Area of Science:
- Hepatology
- Virology
- Immunology
Background:
- Chronic Hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection is a global health concern.
- Hepatitis B e antigen (HBeAg) and its antibody (anti-HBe) are key serological markers in HBV infection.
- Understanding their role in chronic liver disease and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is crucial.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the prevalence and significance of HBeAg and anti-HBe in patients with chronic liver disease and HCC.
- To explore the relationship between HBeAg/anti-HBe status and disease activity, HBsAg titer, and patient age.
- To assess the potential of anti-HBe as a chronologic indicator in chronic Hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) carriage.
Main Methods:
- Immunodiffusion assay was used to detect HBeAg and anti-HBe.
- 144 patients with chronic liver disease and 129 with HCC were analyzed.
- HBsAg positivity was common in the study cohort.
Main Results:
- In chronic active viral hepatitis B, 27% were HBeAg-positive and 40% were anti-HBe-positive.
- HBeAg/anti-HBe levels did not correlate with histological activity or ALT levels.
- HBeAg was associated with higher HBsAg titer and younger age, while anti-HBe showed an inverse correlation.
- Two patients showed seroconversion from HBeAg to anti-HBe over 13-20 months.
- Anti-HBe was predominant in HCC (62%) and cirrhosis (54%) patients, suggesting long-term HBsAg carriage.
Conclusions:
- Anti-HBe appears to be a chronologic indicator of longstanding HBsAg carriage in chronic HBV infection.
- The findings suggest a role for anti-HBe in understanding the chronicity of HBsAg antigenemia.
- Predominance of anti-HBe in HCC and cirrhosis indicates prolonged HBV infection in these patient groups.
Abstract:
The presence of hepatitis Be antigen (HBeAg) and antibody (anti-HBe) was investigated by immunodiffusion in 144 patients with chronic liver disease, and 129 with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Most of the patients were HBsAg-positive. In 62 patients with chronic active viral hepatitis B, 17 (27%) were positive for HBeAg and 25 (40%) for anti-HBe. HBeAg and anti-HBe were not related to the degree of histological activity or serum alanine aminotransferase activities, but were related more frequently to higher HBsAg titer and younger age; whereas anti-HBe generally correlated in an opposite manner. Two patients seroconverted from HBeAg to anti-HBe in 13 and 20 months respectively. HBs antigenemia was not eliminated in either HBeAg or anti-HBe positive patients. The prolonged interval in seroconversion and an age-related declining frequency of HBeAg, accompanied by a reciprocal increase in anti-HBe in chronic infection, suggest anti-HBe as a chronologic indicator in HBs antigenemia in chronic HBsAg carriage. In HCC, regardless of coexisting cirrhosis, a predominant frequency of anti-HBe (62%) was found as in cirrhosis (54%), suggesting longstanding HBsAg carriage in these patients.