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ABSTRACT: Objective
The investigation regarding the clinical significance of quantitative hepatitis B core antibody (anti-HBc) during chronic hepatitis B (CHB) treatment is limited. The aim of this study was to determine the performance of anti-HBc as a predictor for hepatitis B e antigen (HBeAg) seroconversion in HBeAg-positive CHB patients treated with peginterferon (Peg-IFN) or nucleos(t)ide analogues (NUCs), respectively.Design
This was a retrospective cohort study consisting of 231 and 560 patients enrolled in two phase IV, multicentre, randomised, controlled trials treated with Peg-IFN or NUC-based therapy for up to 2?years, respectively. Quantitative anti-HBc evaluation was conducted for all the available samples in the two trials by using a newly developed double-sandwich anti-HBc immunoassay.Results
At the end of trials, 99 (42.9%) and 137 (24.5%) patients achieved HBeAg seroconversion in the Peg-IFN and NUC cohorts, respectively. We defined 4.4 log10 IU/mL, with a maximum sum of sensitivity and specificity, as the optimal cut-off value of baseline anti-HBc level to predict HBeAg seroconversion for both Peg-IFN and NUC. Patients with baseline anti-HBc ?4.4 log10 IU/mL and baseline HBV DNA <9 log10 copies/mL had 65.8% (50/76) and 37.1% (52/140) rates of HBeAg seroconversion in the Peg-IFN and NUC cohorts, respectively. In pooled analysis, other than treatment strategy, the baseline anti-HBc level was the best independent predictor for HBeAg seroconversion (OR 2.178; 95% CI 1.577 to 3.009; p<0.001).Conclusions
Baseline anti-HBc titre is a useful predictor of Peg-IFN and NUC therapy efficacy in HBeAg-positive CHB patients, which could be used for optimising the antiviral therapy of CHB.
SUBMITTER: Fan R
PROVIDER: S-EPMC4752655 | biostudies-literature | 2016 Feb
REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature
Fan Rong R Sun Jian J Yuan Quan Q Xie Qing Q Bai Xuefan X Ning Qin Q Cheng Jun J Yu Yanyan Y Niu Junqi J Shi Guangfeng G Wang Hao H Tan Deming D Wan Mobin M Chen Shijun S Xu Min M Chen Xinyue X Tang Hong H Sheng Jifang J Lu Fengmin F Jia Jidong J Zhuang Hui H Xia Ningshao N Hou Jinlin J
Gut 20150113 2
<h4>Objective</h4>The investigation regarding the clinical significance of quantitative hepatitis B core antibody (anti-HBc) during chronic hepatitis B (CHB) treatment is limited. The aim of this study was to determine the performance of anti-HBc as a predictor for hepatitis B e antigen (HBeAg) seroconversion in HBeAg-positive CHB patients treated with peginterferon (Peg-IFN) or nucleos(t)ide analogues (NUCs), respectively.<h4>Design</h4>This was a retrospective cohort study consisting of 231 an ...[more]