Background: Hepatitis B e antigen (HBeAg) seroconversion is an important intermediate outcome in HBeAg-positive chronic hepatitis B patients. This study aimed to explore whether hepatitis B virus (HBV) RNA serum levels can predict HBeAg seroconversion treated with entecavir.
Methods: Serum samples from HBeAg-positive children previously treated with entecavir were retrospectively analyzed. HBV RNA levels were measured at baseline, weeks 12, 24, 48, 72 of therapy. Ability of individual biomarkers to predict HBeAg seroconversion was evaluated using receiver operating characteristics (ROC) analyzes.
Results: Serum HBV RNA was detectable in 51 children with a median of 6.05 (4.04-8.29) log_{10} IU/mL at baseline. Patients with subsequent HBeAg seroconversion showed a significantly larger decline in median HBV RNA levels during treatment from baseline to week 12 of 1.96 (0.30-3.38) and to week 24 of 2.27 (1.20-3.38) log_{10} IU/mL, respectively, in comparison to HBeAg-positive patients without HBeAg seroconversion (P < 0.001). Levels of HBV RNA at treatment weeks 12 and 24 showed good ability to predict HBeAg seroconversion (area under ROC scores > 0.85, P < 0.001).
Conclusion: On-treatment HBV RNA dynamic predicts entecavir-induced HBeAg seroconversion in children with chronic hepatitis B living in China.
【저자키워드】 children, marker, Chronic Hepatitis B, BMI, Body mass index, Abbreviations, HBV RNA, HBeAg seroconversion, HBV, hepatitis B virus, HBsAg, hepatitis B surface antigen, HCC, hepatocellular carcinoma, pgRNA, pregenomic RNA, cccDNA, covalently closed circular DNA, ETV, entecavir, CHB, chronic hepatitis B, ALT,alanine aminotransferase, AUC, area under the ROC curve, Anti-HBe, hepatitis B e antibody, GEE, generalized estimating equation, HBeAg, hepatitis B e antigen, LoD, limit of detection, NUC, nucleos/tide, PEI, Paul-Ehrlich Institute, ROC, receiver operating characteristics, RcDNA, relaxed circular DNA, ULN, upper limit of normal.,