Baseline hepatitis B core antibody predicts treatment response in chronic hepatitis B patients receiving long‐term entecavir |
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| Authors: | J.‐H. Xu L.‐W. Song N. Li S. Wang Z. Zeng C.‐W. Si J. Li Q. Mao D.‐Z. Zhang H. Tang J.‐F. Sheng X.‐Y. Chen Q. Ning G.‐F. Shi Q. Xie Q. Yuan Y.‐Y. Yu N.‐S. Xia |
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| Affiliation: | 1. Department of Infectious Diseases, Center for Liver Diseases, Peking University First Hospital, Beijing, China;2. State Key Laboratory of Molecular Vaccinology and Molecular Diagnostics, National Institute of Diagnostics and Vaccine Development in Infectious Diseases, School of Public Health, Xiamen University, Xiamen, China;3. Xiamen Innovax Biotech Co., Ltd., Xiamen, China;4. Department of Infectious Diseases, The First Affiliated Hospital with Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China;5. Department of Infectious Diseases, Southwest China Hospital, Chongqing, China;6. Institute for Viral Hepatitis, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China;7. Department of Infectious Diseases, West China Hospital, Chengdu, China;8. State Key Laboratory for Diagnosis and Treatment of Infectious Disease, The First Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China;9. Department of International Medicine, Beijing Youan Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China;10. Department and Institute of Infectious Disease, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China;11. Department of Infectious Diseases, Huashan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China;12. Department of Infectious Diseases, Ruijin Hospital, Jiaotong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China |
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| Abstract: | Studies regarding the clinical significance of quantitative hepatitis B core antibody (anti‐HBc) in patients with chronic hepatitis B receiving first‐line nucleos(t)ide analogues 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 entecavir. This was a retrospective cohort study consisting of 139 Chinese patients enrolled in a multicenter clinical trial treated with entecavir or entecavir maleate for up to 240 weeks. Anti‐HBc evaluation was conducted for all the available samples using a newly developed double‐sandwich anti‐HBc immunoassay. At week 240, 35 (25.2%) patients achieved a serological response (HBeAg seroconversion) and these patients at week 240 had significantly higher levels of anti‐HBc (P<.01). We defined 4.65 log10 IU·mL?1, with a maximum sum of sensitivity and specificity, as the optimal cut‐off value of baseline anti‐HBc level to predict seroconversion. Patients with baseline anti‐HBc ≥4.65 log10 IU·mL?1 had 28.0% (26/93) and 35.5% (33/93) chance of seroconversion at weeks 144 and 240, respectively. The baseline anti‐HBc level was the strongest predictor for seroconversion at week 144 (OR: 5.78, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 2.05‐16.34, P=.001). The baseline anti‐HBc level was a strong predictor for seroconversion at week 240 (OR: 5.36, 95% CI: 2.17‐13.25, P<.001). Hence, baseline anti‐HBc titre is a useful predictor of long‐term entecavir therapy efficacy in HBeAg‐positive CHB patients, which could be used to optimize antiviral therapy. |
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| Keywords: | entecavir hepatitis hepatitis B core antibody treatment outcome |
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