Open AccessThyroid dysfunction is associated with the loss of hepatitis B surface antigen in patients with chronic hepatitis B undergoing treatment with α-interferon
Author(s) -
Wenfan Luo,
Shuai Wu,
Hongjie Chen,
Yin Wu,
Jie Peng
Publication year - 2021
Publication title -
journal of international medical research
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.421
H-Index - 57
eISSN - 1473-2300
pISSN - 0300-0605
DOI - 10.1177/03000605211025139
Subject(s) - medicine , hbsag , gastroenterology , thyroid function , hepatitis b virus , hepatitis b , thyroid , thyroid function tests , odds ratio , immunology , virus
Objective To investigate the influence of thyroid dysfunction on the antiviral efficacy of α-interferon in adult patients with chronic hepatitis B (CHB).Methods We performed a retrospective study of 342 patients with CHB who underwent interferon treatment for >12 weeks. Patients with thyroid dysfunction before or during treatment were defined as the thyroid dysfunction group (n = 141) and those with normal thyroid function were defined as the normal thyroid function group (n = 201). The prevalences of hepatitis B virus (HBV) DNA undetectability, low hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) titre (<250 IU/mL), HBsAg loss, and hepatitis B envelope antigen loss were compared.Results During interferon treatment, 69 of 270 (25.6%) participants with normal thyroid function at baseline developed thyroid dysfunction, whereas 11 of 72 (15.3%) with thyroid dysfunction at baseline regained normal thyroid function. The thyroid dysfunction group had significantly higher prevalences of low HBsAg titre (29.8% vs. 18.9%) and HBV DNA undetectability (66.0% vs. 40.3%). Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that thyroid dysfunction was associated with HBsAg loss (odds ratio 4.945, 95% confidence interval 1.325–18.462).Conclusions These results suggest that thyroid dysfunction is not an absolute contraindication, but is associated with HBsAg loss, in patients with CHB undergoing α-interferon treatment.