Hepatitis B e-antigen titres for evaluating infectivity during hepatitis B virus infection

Area of Science:

• Hepatology
• Virology
• Immunology

Background:

• Hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection poses a significant global health challenge.
• Assessing HBV infectivity is crucial for patient management and public health strategies.

Purpose of the Study:

• To correlate hepatitis B e-antigen (HBeAg) titres with HBV DNA polymerase (DNA-P) detection for assessing infectivity.
• To differentiate degrees of HBV infectivity based on HBeAg levels.
• To analyze the course of HBeAg elimination and infectivity in acute and persistent HBV infections.

Main Methods:

• Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) was used to determine HBeAg titres in patients with acute and persistent HBV.
• HBV-specific DNA polymerase (DNA-P) was detected to assess infectivity.
• Correlation between HBeAg titres and DNA-P presence was analyzed.

Main Results:

• HBeAg detection at dilutions ≥1:50 correlated with DNA-P presence in 95% of cases, indicating high infectivity.
• HBeAg titres ≤1:25 showed DNA-P in only 5% of cases, suggesting medium infectivity.
• In acute hepatitis B, HBeAg elimination occurred within 4 months, independent of initial titre.
• In persistent HBV, 70% of patients with initial HBeAg ≥1:50 remained highly infectious for 18-30 months.

Conclusions:

• HBeAg titres serve as reliable markers for differentiating HBV infectivity levels.
• High HBeAg titres (≥1:50) are strongly associated with high HBV infectivity.
• Persistent HBV infection with high HBeAg titres can lead to prolonged periods of high infectivity.