Virological outcomes in patients infected chronically with hepatitis B virus genotype A in comparison with genotypes B and C

In a single hospital in Tokyo, the 87 patients infected persistently with hepatitis B virus (HBV) genotype A, the 413 with B, and the 3,389 with C were compared for virological outcome. Hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) was cleared from the serum in 12% (3/26), 2% (2/112), and 3% (23/826) of patients with genotypes A, B, and C, respectively, at 5 years of follow‐up ( P  = 0.0395). Hepatitis B e antigen (HBeAg) was cleared from serum more frequently in patients with genotype B than those with A or C (78% [32/41] vs. 58% [11/19] or 45% [251/562], P  = 0.00001) at 5 years. Of the 45 individuals infected with genotype A and followed for 3 years or longer, HBeAg was more frequent (16% [3/19] vs. 73% [19/26], P  = 0.0002) and levels of HBV DNA higher (median <2.6 [range: <2.6–5.6] vs. >7.6 [<2.6–>7.6] log copies/ml, P  = 0.001) in the 26 patients with biopsy‐proven chronic hepatitis than the 19 asymptomatic carriers. Among the 26 hepatitis patients infected with HBV genotype A, decreases in HBV DNA were less frequent (20% [1/5] vs. 93% [13/14] or 86% [6/7], P  = 0.0095) and increases in serum levels of hyaluronic acid ≥10 ng/ml commoner (80% [4/5] vs. 14% [2/14] or 14% [1/7], P  = 0.017) in the patients who kept HBeAg than in those who seroconverted or who remained HBeAg‐negative. In conclusion, patients persistently infected with HBV genotype A fare better than those with genotype B or C. However, high levels of HBV DNA continue in those in whom HBeAg persists along with fibrosis in the liver. J. Med. Virol. 78:60–67, 2006. © 2005 Wiley‐Liss, inc.