Quantitative hepatitis B core antibody levels in the natural history of hepatitis B virus infection. (February 2015)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Song, L.-W.; Liu, P.-G.; Liu, C.-J.; Zhang, T.-Y.; Cheng, X.-D.; Wu, H.-L.; Yang, H.-C.; Hao, X.-K.; Yuan, Q.; Zhang, J.; Kao, J.-H.; Chen, D.-S.; Chen, P.-J.; Xia, N.-S.
• Is Part Of: Clinical microbiology and infection. Volume 21:Number 2(2015:Feb.)
• Page Start: 197
• Page End: 203
• Publication Date: 2015-02
• Subjects: Chronic hepatitis B (CHB) -- hepatitis activity -- host immune status -- natural history of CHB -- quantitative anti-HBc; Medical microbiology -- Periodicals; Diagnostic microbiology -- Periodicals; Communicable diseases -- Periodicals; Infection -- Periodicals; 616.01
• DOI: 10.1016/j.cmi.2014.10.002
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1198-743X

Abstract

Abstract: We previously demonstrated that pretreatment quantitative anti–hepatitis B core protein (qAnti-HBc) levels can predict the treatment response for both interferon and nucleoside analogue therapy, but the characteristics of qAnti-HBc during chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection remain poorly understood. To understand this issue, the qAnti-HBc levels were evaluated in individuals with past HBV infection, occult HBV infection and chronic HBV infection in the immune tolerance phase, immune clearance phase, low-replicative phase and hepatitis B e antigen (HBeAg)-negative hepatitis phase. Individuals with hepatitis B surface antigen ( n = 598, 3.74 ± 0.90 log10 IU/mL) had significantly higher (p < 0.001, approximately 1000-fold) serum qAnti-HBc levels than those who had occult HBV, and serum qAnti-HBc levels were significantly higher in the occult HBV group than in the past HBV infection group (p < 0.001). qAnti-HBc levels were positively correlated with alanine aminotransferase levels ( R = 0.663, p < 0.001), and subjects with an abnormal alanine aminotransferase level had a higher qAnti-HBc level (p < 0.001). Serum qAnti-HBc level varied in different phases of HBV infection, as determined by host immune status. Serum qAnti-HBc level is strongly associated with hepatitis activity in subjects with chronic HBV infection.