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Serum HB crAg is better than HBV RNA and HB sAg in reflecting intrahepatic covalently closed circular DNA
Author(s) -
Chen EnQiang,
Wang MengLan,
Tao YaChao,
Wu DongBo,
Liao Juan,
He Min,
Tang Hong
Publication year - 2019
Publication title -
journal of viral hepatitis
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.329
H-Index - 100
eISSN - 1365-2893
pISSN - 1352-0504
DOI - 10.1111/jvh.13061
Subject(s) - rna , microbiology and biotechnology , dna , hbsag , medicine , messenger rna , hepatitis b virus , gastroenterology , virology , biology , virus , gene , biochemistry
Summary The correlation between serum HB crAg and HBV RNA is unclear, and correlations of intrahepatic ccc DNA with HB crAg, HBV RNA and HB sAg are rarely reported in the same cohort. This study aimed to assess the correlation of HB crAg with HBV RNA and HB sAg, and investigate whether serum HB crAg is superior to serum HBV RNA and HB sAg in reflecting intrahepatic HBV ccc DNA in HB eAg‐positive and HB eAg‐negative CHB patients. In this study, 85 HB eAg‐positive and 25 HB eAg‐negative patients who have never received antiviral therapy were included. Among HB eAg‐positive patients, HB crAg was correlated positively with HB sAg ( r = 0.564, P < 0.001) and HBV RNA ( r = 0.445, P < 0.001), and HBV RNA was also correlated positively with HB sAg ( r = 0.323, P = 0.003). Among HB eAg‐negative patients, no significant correlation was observed between HB crAg, HB sAg and HBV RNA . By multivariable linear regression, HB crAg (β = −0.563, P < 0.001), HB sAg (β = −0.328, P < 0.001) and HBV RNA (β = 0.180, P = 0.003) were all associated with ccc DNA levels among HB eAg‐positive patients, but only serum HB crAg was associated with ccc DNA level (β = 0.774, P = 0.000) among HB eAg‐negative patients. HB crAg was better correlated with ccc DNA as compared to HB sAg and HBV RNA , irrespective of HB eAg status. Among HB eAg‐positive patients, though HB crAg level was influenced by hepatic inflammatory activity and HBV DNA levels, the good correlations of HB crAg with ccc DNA persisted after stratification by inflammatory activity and HBV DNA levels. In conclusion, correlations of serum HB crAg, HBV RNA and HB sAg levels differ significantly between HB eAg‐positive and HB eAg‐negative patients, but serum HbcrAg correlates with ccc DNA levels better than HBV RNA and HB sAg, irrespective of HB eAg status.