|
KMID : 1188320170110030417
|
|
Gut and Liver
2017 Volume.11 No. 3 p.417 ~ p.425
|
|
|
Expression of Hepatocyte Hepatitis B Core Antigen and Hepatitis B Surface Antigen as a Marker in the Management of Chronic Hepatitis B Patients
|
|
Yim Sun-Young
Kim Tae-Hyung
Jun Suh-Sang
Kim Eun-Sun
Keum Bo-Ra
Seo Yeon-Seok
Yim Hyung-Joon
Jeen Yoon-Tae
Chun Hoon-Jai
Lee Hong-Sik
Um Soon-Ho
Kim Chang-Duck
Won Nam-Hee
Ryu Ho-Sang
|
|
|
Abstract
|
|
|
Background/Aims: We aimed to clarify the association of hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg)/hepatitis B core antigen (HBcAg) with the disease status and treatment response in patients with chronic hepatitis B (CHB).
Methods: We investigated 171 biopsy-proven entecavir-treated CHB patients (109 hepatitis B e antigen [HBeAg]-positive, 62 HBeAg-negative). HBcAg expression was positive when ≥10% of hepatocytes stained, and classified into nuclear, mixed, and cytoplasmic patterns. HBsAg expressions were intracytoplasmic (diffuse, globular, and submembranous) and membranous. The histologic activity index (HAI) and fibrosis stage followed Ishak system.
Results: In HBeAg-positive patients, older age, increased HAI score, advanced fibrosis, and reduced viral load were observed when HBcAg expression shifted from nucleus to cytoplasm in HBcAg-positive patients, and HBsAg expression from non-submembranous to submembranous in HBcAg-negative patients (all, p<0.05). In HBeAg-negative patients, only intracytoplasmic HBsAg expression patterns had clinical relevance with decreased ALT levels and viremia. In HBeAg-positive patients without favorable predictors of virologic response, negative HBcAg and membranous HB-sAg expression predicted greater virologic response (both, p<0.05). The probability of HBeAg seroclearance was higher in patients with increased HAI or lacking HBcAg expression (both, p<0.05). Higher serum HBsAg levels and hepatocyte HBcAg positivity were associated with reduced serum HBsAg during first and post-first year treatment, respectively (both, p<0.05).
Conclusions: Hepatocyte HBcAg/HBsAg expression is a good marker for disease status and predicting treatment response.
|
|
|
KEYWORD
|
|
|
Hepatitis B chronic, Hepatitis B core antigens, Hepatitis B surface antigens, Histologic activity index
|
|
|
FullTexts / Linksout information
|
|
|
|
|
Listed journal information
|
|
   
|
|