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Wang FC, Dong Y, Xu ZQ, Gao YJ, Yan JG, Cao LL, Feng DN, Liu C, Zhong YW, Zhang M, Xin SJ. Characteristics analysis of hepatitis B core-related antigen in children with hepatitis B e antigen-positive chronic viral hepatitis B infection. Eur J Gastroenterol Hepatol 2024; 36:1238-1242. [PMID: 38973529 DOI: 10.1097/meg.0000000000002812] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/09/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The objective of antiviral therapy for chronic viral hepatitis B infection (CHB) is to achieve a functional cure. An important viral marker in the serum of patients with CHB is the serum hepatitis B core-related antigen (HBcrAg). However, there is limited research on HBcrAg in juvenile patients with CHB. In this study, we aimed to investigate the correlation between serum HBcrAg and other hepatitis B virus (HBV) markers in children with CHB and its predictive significance for prognosis during antiviral therapy. METHODS A single-center retrospective study was conducted involving 79 children with CHB, aged between 0 and 16 years. All the children were treated with interferon [or combined nucleos(t)ide analogs] for 48 weeks. HBcrAg, hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg), and HBV DNA were measured before treatment, and at 12 and 48 weeks after treatment. The enrolled children were classified into the seroclearance group and the nonseroclearance group based on the therapeutic outcome. RESULTS HBsAg seroclearance was observed in 28 out of 79 patients and hepatitis B e antigen seroconversion without HBsAg seroclearance was observed in 14 out of 79 patients following the conclusion of the treatment, with baseline HBcrAg titer levels showing no statistical significance in both the seroclearance and nonseroclearance groups ( P = 0.277). HBsAg and HBV DNA were positively correlated with HBcrAg in children with CHB ( R2 = 0.3289, 0.4388). The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve of the decrease in HBcrAg at 12 weeks of treatment as a predictor of seroclearance at 48 weeks of treatment, exhibited a value of 0.77. CONCLUSION A decrease in serum HBcrAg levels in children with hepatitis B serves as a prognostic indicator.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fu-Chuan Wang
- Senior Department of Hepatology, The Fifth Medical Center of PLA General Hospital, Beijing, China
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2
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Liu J, Yu Y, Zhao H, Guo L, Yang W, Yan Y, Lv J. Latest insights into the epidemiology, characteristics, and therapeutic strategies of chronic hepatitis B patients in indeterminate phase. Eur J Med Res 2024; 29:343. [PMID: 38902822 PMCID: PMC11191257 DOI: 10.1186/s40001-024-01942-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/18/2023] [Accepted: 06/17/2024] [Indexed: 06/22/2024] Open
Abstract
As a hepatotropic virus, hepatitis B virus (HBV) can establish a persistent chronic infection in the liver, termed, chronic hepatitis B (CHB), which causes a series of liver-related complications, including fibrosis, cirrhosis, and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). HCC with HBV infection has a significantly increased morbidity and mortality, whereas it could be preventable. The current goal of antiviral therapy for HBV infection is to decrease CHB-related morbidity and mortality, and achieve sustained suppression of virus replication, which is known as a functional or immunological cure. The natural history of chronic HBV infection includes four immune phases: the immune-tolerant phase, immune-active phase, inactive phase, and reactivation phase. However, many CHB patients do not fit into any of these defined phases and are regarded as indeterminate. A large proportion of indeterminate patients are only treated with dynamic monitoring rather than recommended antiviral therapy, mainly due to the lack of definite guidelines. However, many of these patients may gradually have significant liver histopathological changes during disease progression. Recent studies have focused on the prevalence, progression, and carcinogenicity of indeterminate CHB, and more attention has been given to the prevention, detection, and treatment for these patients. Herein, we discuss the latest understanding of the epidemiology, clinical characteristics, and therapeutic strategies of indeterminate CHB, to provide avenues for the management of these patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Junye Liu
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, Honghui Hospital, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Youyi Dong Road, Xi'an, 710054, China
| | - Yan Yu
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, Honghui Hospital, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Youyi Dong Road, Xi'an, 710054, China
| | - Heping Zhao
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, Honghui Hospital, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Youyi Dong Road, Xi'an, 710054, China
| | - Lei Guo
- Department of Spinal Surgery, Honghui Hospital, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Youyi Dong Road, Xi'an, 710054, China
| | - Wenjuan Yang
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, Honghui Hospital, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Youyi Dong Road, Xi'an, 710054, China
| | - Yuzhu Yan
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, Honghui Hospital, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Youyi Dong Road, Xi'an, 710054, China
| | - Jing Lv
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, Honghui Hospital, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Youyi Dong Road, Xi'an, 710054, China.
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3
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Wu L, Yang Z, Zheng M. Biogenesis of serum HBV RNA and clinical phenomena of serum HBV RNA in chronic hepatitis B patients before and after receiving nucleos(t)ide analogues therapy. J Viral Hepat 2024; 31:255-265. [PMID: 38332479 DOI: 10.1111/jvh.13926] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/13/2023] [Revised: 12/20/2023] [Accepted: 01/17/2024] [Indexed: 02/10/2024]
Abstract
There are estimated 300 million people afflicted with chronic hepatitis B (CHB) worldwide. The risk of liver cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) increases considerably with chronic hepatitis B infection. While current therapeutics are effective in controlling hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection and disease progression, a cure for HBV infection remains unattainable due to an intranuclear replicative intermediate known as covalently closed circular DNA (cccDNA). It has recently been shown that serum HBV RNA is a non-invasive biomarker that reflects cccDNA transcriptional activity. This review provides a comprehensive overview and the latest updates on the molecular characteristics and clinical significance of serum HBV RNA, such as species of serum HBV RNA, forms of serum HBV RNA carriers and predictive value for relapses in CHB patients after nucleos(t)ide analogues (NAs) discontinuation and development of liver fibrosis and HCC. Furthermore, we summarize standardized assays for testing serum HBV RNA, the dynamic changes of serum HBV RNA levels in treatment-naïve CHB patients and those under NAs therapy, as well as the host and viral influencing factors of serum HBV RNA levels. Finally, we discuss the future perspectives in studies of serum HBV RNA.
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Affiliation(s)
- Liandong Wu
- The State Key Laboratory for Diagnosis and Treatment of Infectious Diseases, National Clinical Research Center for Infectious Diseases, Collaborative Innovation Center for Diagnosis and Treatment of Infectious Diseases, The First Affiliated Hospital, College of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Zhenggang Yang
- The State Key Laboratory for Diagnosis and Treatment of Infectious Diseases, National Clinical Research Center for Infectious Diseases, Collaborative Innovation Center for Diagnosis and Treatment of Infectious Diseases, The First Affiliated Hospital, College of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Min Zheng
- The State Key Laboratory for Diagnosis and Treatment of Infectious Diseases, National Clinical Research Center for Infectious Diseases, Collaborative Innovation Center for Diagnosis and Treatment of Infectious Diseases, The First Affiliated Hospital, College of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
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4
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Lin J, Jiang S, Chen X, Zhu M, Zhang H. The significance of detecting HBV pgRNA and HBcrAg in HBV patients treated with NAs. Medicine (Baltimore) 2024; 103:e37752. [PMID: 38579047 PMCID: PMC10994503 DOI: 10.1097/md.0000000000037752] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/11/2023] [Accepted: 03/08/2024] [Indexed: 04/07/2024] Open
Abstract
The value of detecting hepatitis B virus (HBV), pregenomic RNA (pgRNA), and hepatitis B core-related antigen (HBcrAg), both separately and jointly, in the management of HBV patients undergoing treatment with Nucleotide Analog was investigated. A total of 149 HBV patients who were being treated with Nucleotide Analog were enrolled in this study. The quantitative levels of HBV pgRNA and HBcrAg in the sera of these patients were determined, aiming to comprehend their replication levels and expression during the course of antiviral therapy. The patients were separated into 3 groups based on treatment duration: treatment time ≤ 12 months, treatment time ranging from 12 months to <60 months, and treatment time ≥ 60 months. Significantly different levels of HBcrAg and HBV pgRNA were observed among 3 groups (P < .05). In the group of patients with positive hepatitis B e antigen, both HBcrAg and pgRNA levels were higher compared to the group with negative hepatitis B e antigen, and this difference between the 2 groups was found to be statistically significant. Stratified analysis based on levels of hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) revealed that the group with HBsAg levels < 100 IU/mL had lower levels of both HBcrAg and pgRNA compared to the group with HBsAg levels ≥ 100 IU/mL (P < .001). Following antiviral therapy, various degrees of transcription of covalently closed circular DNA continue to exist within the liver of HBV patients. The levels of serum HBcrAg and HBV pgRNA vary among patients with different treatment durations, indicating their efficacy in evaluating disease conditions during antiviral therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jie Lin
- Department of Infectious Diseases, The Affiliated Hospital of Nantong University, Nantong, Jiangsu, P.R. China
| | - Shiyao Jiang
- Department of Infectious Diseases, The Third People’s Hospital of Deqing, Huzhou, Zhejiang, P.R. China
| | - Xiangyu Chen
- Department of Infectious Diseases, The Affiliated Hospital of Nantong University, Nantong, Jiangsu, P.R. China
| | - Min Zhu
- Department of Infectious Diseases, The Affiliated Hospital of Nantong University, Nantong, Jiangsu, P.R. China
| | - Haifeng Zhang
- Department of Infectious Diseases, The Affiliated Hospital of Nantong University, Nantong, Jiangsu, P.R. China
- Infection Management Office, The Affiliated Hospital of Nantong University, Nantong, Jiangsu, P.R. China
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5
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Wang YH, Tang H, Chen EQ. Quantitative Measurement of Serum HBcrAg Can Be Used to Assess the Feasibility of Safe Discontinuation of Antiviral Therapy for Chronic Hepatitis B. Viruses 2024; 16:529. [PMID: 38675872 PMCID: PMC11055047 DOI: 10.3390/v16040529] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/02/2024] [Revised: 03/19/2024] [Accepted: 03/22/2024] [Indexed: 04/28/2024] Open
Abstract
Hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection is a serious global health problem, and chronic HBV infection significantly increases the risk of liver fibrosis, cirrhosis, and even hepatocellular carcinoma in patients. Current first-line therapeutics such as nucleos(t)ide analogues and interferons are unable to completely clear cccDNA, so the vast majority of patients need to take long-term or even lifelong medication. However, long-term virological and biochemical responses can be achieved in some patients after drug withdrawal. Successfully screening these patients with drug withdrawal advantages is difficult. Hepatitis-B-core-related antigen (HBcrAg) is a new HBV serological marker that which can reflect the level and transcription activity of cccDNA in hepatocytes. Therefore, HBcrAg has potential value in guiding patients in drug withdrawal. This review summarizes previous reports on HBcrAg and evaluates the application value of HBcrAg in safe drug discontinuation.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Hong Tang
- Center of Infectious Diseases, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, China;
| | - En-Qiang Chen
- Center of Infectious Diseases, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, China;
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6
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Inoue T, Watanabe T, Tanaka Y. Hepatitis B core-related antigen: A novel and promising surrogate biomarker to guide anti-hepatitis B virus therapy. Clin Mol Hepatol 2023; 29:851-868. [PMID: 36891607 PMCID: PMC10577333 DOI: 10.3350/cmh.2022.0434] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/02/2022] [Revised: 02/19/2023] [Accepted: 03/07/2023] [Indexed: 03/10/2023] Open
Abstract
The current requirement for biomarkers to detect hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection is polarized. One is a fully-automated and highly sensitive measurement system; the other is a simple system for point-of-care testing (POCT) in resource-limited areas. Hepatitis B core-related antigen (HBcrAg) reflects intrahepatic covalently closed circular DNA and serum HBV DNA. Even in patients with undetectable serum HBV DNA or HBsAg loss, HBcrAg may remain detectable. Decreased HBcrAg levels are associated with reduction of the occurrence of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) in chronic hepatitis B. Recently, a fully-automated, novel high-sensitivity HBcrAg assay (iTACT-HBcrAg, cut-off value: 2.1 logIU/mL) has been developed. This attractive assay has been released in Japan very recently. iTACT-HBcrAg can be useful for monitoring HBV reactivation and prediction of HCC occurrence, as an alternative to HBV DNA. Moreover, monitoring HBcrAg may be suitable for determining the therapeutic effectiveness of approved drugs and novel drugs under development. Presently, international guidelines recommend anti-HBV prophylaxis for pregnant women with high viral loads to prevent mother-to-child transmission of HBV. However, >95% of HBV-infected individuals live in countries where HBV DNA quantification is not available. Worldwide elimination of HBV needs the scaling-up of examination and medication services in resource-limited areas. Based on this situation, a rapid and easy HBcrAg assay as a POCT is valuable. This review provides the latest information regarding the clinical use of a new surrogate marker, HBcrAg, in HBV management, based on iTACT-HBcrAg or POCT, and introduces novel agents targeting HBV RNA/protein.
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Affiliation(s)
- Takako Inoue
- Department of Clinical Laboratory Medicine, Nagoya City University Hospital, Nagoya, Japan
| | - Takehisa Watanabe
- Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Faculty of Life Sciences, Kumamoto University, Kumamoto, Japan
| | - Yasuhito Tanaka
- Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Faculty of Life Sciences, Kumamoto University, Kumamoto, Japan
- Department of Virology & Liver unit, Nagoya City University Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Nagoya, Japan
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7
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He P, Zhang P, Fang Y, Han N, Yang W, Xia Z, Zhu Y, Zhang Z, Shen J. The role of HBV cccDNA in occult hepatitis B virus infection. Mol Cell Biochem 2023; 478:2297-2307. [PMID: 36735210 DOI: 10.1007/s11010-023-04660-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/05/2022] [Accepted: 01/09/2023] [Indexed: 02/04/2023]
Abstract
Occult hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection (OBI) refers to the presence of replication-competent HBV DNA in the liver, with or without HBV DNA in the blood, in individuals who tested negative for HBV surface antigen (HBsAg). In this peculiar phase of HBV infection, the covalently closed circular DNA (cccDNA) is in a low state of replication. Several advances have been made toward clarifying the mechanisms involved in such a suppression of viral activity, which seems to be mainly related to the host's immune control and epigenetic factors. Although the underlying mechanisms describing the genesis of OBI are not completely known, the presence of viral cccDNA, which remains in a low state of replication due to the host's strong immune suppression of HBV replication and gene expression, appears to be the causative factor. Through this review, we have provided an updated account on the role of HBV cccDNA in regulating OBI. We have comprehensively described the HBV cell cycle, cccDNA kinetics, current regulatory mechanisms, and the therapeutic methods of cccDNA in OBI-related diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pei He
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, 230012, People's Republic of China
- Anhui Public Health Clinical Center, Hefei, 230012, People's Republic of China
- Department of Infectious Diseases, The Second Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, China
| | - Peixin Zhang
- Department of Infectious Diseases, The Second Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, China
| | - Yaping Fang
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, The Second Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, China
| | - Ning Han
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, The Second Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, China
| | - Wensu Yang
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, 230012, People's Republic of China
- Anhui Public Health Clinical Center, Hefei, 230012, People's Republic of China
| | - Zhaoxin Xia
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, 230012, People's Republic of China
- Anhui Public Health Clinical Center, Hefei, 230012, People's Republic of China
| | - Yi Zhu
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, 230012, People's Republic of China
- Anhui Public Health Clinical Center, Hefei, 230012, People's Republic of China
| | - Zhenhua Zhang
- Department of Infectious Diseases, The Second Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, China.
| | - Jilu Shen
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, 230012, People's Republic of China.
- Anhui Public Health Clinical Center, Hefei, 230012, People's Republic of China.
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8
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King WC, Sterling RK, Hinerman AS, Lok ASF, Cloherty GA, Ghany MG. Hepatitis B RNA and Core-Related Antigen Provide Value Beyond DNA in Evaluating e But Not Surface Antigen Clearance. Clin Gastroenterol Hepatol 2023; 21:1957-1959. [PMID: 35850413 PMCID: PMC9841061 DOI: 10.1016/j.cgh.2022.06.019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/28/2022] [Revised: 06/21/2022] [Accepted: 06/25/2022] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
In chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection, hepatitis B e antigen (HBeAg) and hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) clearance are important milestones toward immune control.1 A drop in HBV DNA is an established correlate of both HBeAg and HBsAg clearance.2 We evaluated changes in HBV RNA and hepatitis B core-related antigen (HBcrAg) levels, markers of transcriptional activity of covalently closed circular DNA (cccDNA),3,4 with HBeAg and HBsAg clearance, and compared them with changes in HBV DNA level among adult participants in the Hepatitis B Research Network (HBRN).
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Affiliation(s)
- Wendy C King
- Graduate School of Public Health, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
| | - Richard K Sterling
- Division of Gastroenterology, Hepatology, and Nutrition, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, Virginia
| | - Amanda S Hinerman
- Epidemiology Department, Graduate School of Public Health, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
| | - Anna S F Lok
- Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan
| | - Gavin A Cloherty
- Infectious Disease Research, Abbott Diagnostics, Abbott Park, Illinois
| | - Marc G Ghany
- Liver Diseases Branch, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland
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Adraneda C, Tan YC, Yeo EJ, Kew GS, Khakpoor A, Lim SG. A critique and systematic review of the clinical utility of hepatitis B core-related antigen. J Hepatol 2023; 78:731-741. [PMID: 36586590 DOI: 10.1016/j.jhep.2022.12.017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/28/2022] [Revised: 12/03/2022] [Accepted: 12/14/2022] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND & AIMS Hepatitis B core-related antigen (HBcrAg) is a new biomarker for chronic hepatitis B (CHB) whose performance has not been critically or systematically appraised. Herein, we performed a systematic review to determine its clinical utility. METHODS We evaluated the biological pathway of HBcrAg and performed a systematic review of PubMed for clinical trials, cohort studies, and case-control studies that evaluated the clinical utility of HBcrAg. The effectiveness of HBcrAg in predicting HBV-specific clinical events (e.g. HBeAg seroconversion, phases of CHB, HBsAg loss, treatment response, and relapse after stopping therapy) was examined using receiver-operating characteristic curves. The correlation coefficients of HBcrAg with HBV DNA, quantitative HBsAg (qHBsAg), HBV RNA, and cccDNA were summarised from published studies. Median values were used as estimates. RESULTS HBcrAg consists of three precore/core protein products: HBcAg, HBeAg, and a 22 kDa precore protein. HBcrAg assays have been associated with false-positive rates of 9.3% and false-negative rates of between 12-35% for CHB. The new iTACT-HBcrAg is more sensitive but does not reduce the false-positive rate. A PubMed search found 248 papers on HBcrAg, of which 59 were suitable for analysis. The clinical performance of HBcrAg was evaluated using AUROC analyses, with median AUROCs of 0.860 for HBeAg seroconversion, 0.867 for predicting HBeAg(-) hepatitis, 0.645 for HBsAg loss, 0.757 for treatment response, and 0.688 for relapse after stopping therapy. The median correlation coefficient (r) was 0.630 with HBV DNA, 0.414 with qHBsAg, 0.619 with HBV RNA and 0.550 with cccDNA. Correlation decreased during antiviral therapy, but combined biomarkers improved performance. CONCLUSIONS HBcrAg has a mixed performance and has a poor correlation with HBsAg loss and antiviral therapy, hence HBcrAg results should be interpreted with caution. IMPACT AND IMPLICATIONS Hepatitis B core-related antigen (HBcrAg) has been used to assess management of patients with chronic hepatitis B (CHB) without a systematic and critical Sreview of its performance. Our finding that HBcrAg had a false-positive rate of 9% and a false-negative rate of 12-35% raises concerns, although larger studies are needed for validation. A systematic review showed that the performance of HBcrAg was variable depending on the CHB endpoint; it was excellent at predicting HBeAg seroconversion and HBeAg-negative chronic hepatitis (vs. chronic infection), which should be its main use, but it was poor for relapse after stopping antiviral therapy and for HBsAg loss. HBcrAg results should be interpreted with considerable caution, particularly by physicians, researchers, guideline committees and agencies that approve diagnostic tests.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Yong Chuan Tan
- Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, National University Hospital, National University Health System, Singapore; Department of Medicine, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore
| | - Ee Jin Yeo
- Department of Medicine, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore
| | - Guan Sen Kew
- Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, National University Hospital, National University Health System, Singapore; Department of Medicine, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore
| | - Atefeh Khakpoor
- Department of Medicine, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore
| | - Seng Gee Lim
- Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, National University Hospital, National University Health System, Singapore; Department of Medicine, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore; Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology, Agency for Science, Technology and Research, Biopolis, Singapore.
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10
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Deng R, Liu S, Shen S, Guo H, Sun J. Circulating HBV RNA: From biology to clinical applications. Hepatology 2022; 76:1520-1530. [PMID: 35342969 DOI: 10.1002/hep.32479] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/06/2022] [Revised: 03/16/2022] [Accepted: 03/18/2022] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Abstract
Chronic HBV infection can hardly be cured due to the persistence of an intrahepatic pool of viral covalently closed circular DNA (cccDNA) transcription template, which is refractory to current antivirals. The direct analyses of cccDNA quantity and transcriptional activity require an invasive biopsy. Recently, circulating HBV RNA has been identified as a promising noninvasive surrogate marker of cccDNA and can be used for monitoring disease progression and predicting prognosis of patients with chronic HBV infection. To better understand this surrogate biomarker of cccDNA, we reviewed the current knowledge about the molecular characteristics and potential clinical applications of circulating HBV RNA. Specifically, we summarized the reported species and existing forms of circulating HBV RNA and discussed their biogenesis and the capacity of de novo infection by RNA virions. Moreover, we described the potential applications of circulating HBV RNA in different clinical scenarios, such as classifying the phases of chronic HBV infection, analyzing sustained on-treatment and off-treatment outcomes of treated patients, as well as predicting HCC development. Perspectives on future research of circulating HBV RNA were also proposed in this review.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rui Deng
- State Key Laboratory of Organ Failure Research, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Viral Hepatitis Research, Department of Infectious Diseases, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Shi Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Organ Failure Research, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Viral Hepatitis Research, Department of Infectious Diseases, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Sheng Shen
- State Key Laboratory of Organ Failure Research, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Viral Hepatitis Research, Department of Infectious Diseases, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China.,Cancer Virology Program, UPMC Hillman Cancer Center, Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Haitao Guo
- Cancer Virology Program, UPMC Hillman Cancer Center, Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Jian Sun
- State Key Laboratory of Organ Failure Research, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Viral Hepatitis Research, Department of Infectious Diseases, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
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11
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Xu B, Liu A, Liu Y, Han T, Guo H, Ding X, Xiang H. Correlations between serum hepatitis B core-related antigen and hepatitis B surface antigen in patients with hepatitis B cirrhosis and a hepatitis B virus-DNA-negative status: a retrospective study. J Int Med Res 2022; 50:3000605221130714. [PMID: 36224762 PMCID: PMC9561681 DOI: 10.1177/03000605221130714] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2022] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVE This study aimed to examine the correlations between serum hepatitis B core-related antigen (HBcrAg) and hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) titers in patients with hepatitis B cirrhosis and a hepatitis B virus (HBV)-DNA-negative status. METHODS We retrospectively analyzed the data and blood samples of patients who were diagnosed with HBV liver cirrhosis and an HBV-DNA negative status. These patients were hospitalized between October 2018 and October 2019 at one hospital. RESULTS A total of 180 patients were included. The median (interquartile range) HBsAg and HBcrAg concentrations were 2.77 log10 IU/mL (1.60-3.15) and 3.96 log10 U/mL (2.70-4.97), respectively. A non-linear significant relationship was found between HBsAg and HBcrAg concentrations. The inflection point was 0.58. The effect size and confidence interval on the left and right sides of the inflection point were 0.10 (-0.23-0.42) and 0.62 (0.46-0.78), respectively. When HBsAg concentrations were ≥0.58 log10 IU/mL, HBsAg concentrations were positively correlated with HBcrAg concentrations. When HBsAg concentrations increased by 1 log10 IU/mL, HBcrAg concentrations increased by 0.62 log10 U/mL (95% confidence interval: 0.46, 0.78). CONCLUSIONS There might be a non-linear relationship between HBcrAg and HBsAg concentrations in patients with hepatitis B cirrhosis and an HBV-DNA-negative status.
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Affiliation(s)
- Baiguo Xu
- Department of Hepatology and Gastroenterology, The Third Central
Clinical College of Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin, China; Tianjin
Institute of Hepatobiliary Disease, Tianjin, China
| | - Anjing Liu
- Center of Infectious Diseases, Tanggu Infectious Disease
Hospital of Tianjin, Tianjin, China
| | - Ying Liu
- Department of Hepatology and Gastroenterology, The Third Central
Clinical College of Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin, China; Tianjin
Institute of Hepatobiliary Disease, Tianjin, China
| | - Tao Han
- Department of Hepatology and Gastroenterology, The Third Central
Clinical College of Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin, China; Tianjin
Institute of Hepatobiliary Disease, Tianjin, China
| | - Hua Guo
- Institute of Hepatobiliary Disease of Tianjin, Tianjin, China;
The Third Central Hospital of Tianjin, Tianjin, China
| | - Xian Ding
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, The Third Central Hospital of
Tianjin, Tianjin, China; Institute of Hepatobiliary Disease of Tianjin, Tianjin,
China
| | - Huiling Xiang
- Department of Hepatology and Gastroenterology, The Third Central
Clinical College of Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin, China; Tianjin
Institute of Hepatobiliary Disease, Tianjin, China,Huiling Xiang, Department of Hepatology and
Gastroenterology, The Third Central Clinical College of Tianjin Medical
University, #83 Jintang Road, Hedong District, Tianjin 300170, China.
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12
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Wang ML, Wang FD, Chen EQ. Letter: serum HBV RNA and HBcrAg may help to evaluate safely stopping nucleot(s)ide analogues in patients with HBeAg-negative chronic hepatitis B and without cirrhosis. Aliment Pharmacol Ther 2022; 56:1219-1220. [PMID: 36071008 DOI: 10.1111/apt.17154] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/30/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Meng-Lan Wang
- Center of Infectious Diseases, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Fa-Da Wang
- Center of Infectious Diseases, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - En-Qiang Chen
- Center of Infectious Diseases, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
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13
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Leroy V, Chevaliez S, Decraecker M, Roulot D, Nana J, Asselah T, Causse X, Durantel D, Thibaut V, Ganne-Carrié N, Bureau C, de Lédinghen V, Bourlière M. Non-invasive diagnosis and follow-up of chronic infection with hepatitis B virus. Clin Res Hepatol Gastroenterol 2022; 46:101773. [PMID: 34332134 DOI: 10.1016/j.clinre.2021.101773] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/11/2021] [Accepted: 07/23/2021] [Indexed: 02/04/2023]
Abstract
Diagnosis of chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection, initial staging of infection and monitoring of treated and untreated patients are mainly based on clinical, biological and imaging criteria allowing a complete non-invasive management for the majority of patients. Along to the conventional virological tools, rapid diagnostic tests and blotting paper tests for HBV DNA are validated alternatives. After diagnosis, the initial work-up should include HIV, HCV and HDV serologies, HBeAg status, and HBsAg and HBV DNA quantification. Assessment of severity (inflammation and fibrosis) is based on ALT serum levels and non-invasive evaluation of liver fibrosis by elastography or blood tests, which must be interpreted cautiously using specific cut-offs and taking into account ALT levels. Taken together, these parameters allow disease classification and treatment decision. Decision of hepatocellular carcinoma screening by ultra-sound every six months may be difficult in non-cirrhotic patients and the use of risk-scores such as PAGE-B is encouraged. Chronic HBV infection often has a dynamic and often unpredictable profile and regular monitoring is mandatory. In untreated patients, regular (3-12 months) follow-up should include ALT and HBV DNA serum levels. Periodical HBsAg quantification and non-invasive evaluation of liver fibrosis may refine disease outcome and prognosis. In treated patients, checking efficacy is mainly based on HBV DNA negativity. In patients with advanced fibrosis, evolution of liver stiffness can be useful for portal hypertension evaluation, but its improvement should not be considered to stop hepatocellular carcinoma screening. Finally, new parameters (HBV RNA, HBcrAg) are promising but their use is still restricted for research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vincent Leroy
- Service d'hépatologie, Hôpital Henri-Mondor, APHP, & INSERM U955, UPEC, Créteil, France.
| | - Stéphane Chevaliez
- Service d'hépatologie, Hôpital Henri-Mondor, APHP, & INSERM U955, UPEC, Créteil, France
| | - Marie Decraecker
- Service d'hépato-gastroentérologie, Hôpital Haut-Lévêque, CHU Bordeaux, Pessac & INSERM U1053, Université de Bordeaux, Bordeaux, France
| | - Dominique Roulot
- Service d'hépatologie, Hôpital Avicenne, APHP; université Sorbonne Paris Nord, Bobigny, France
| | - Jean Nana
- Service d'hépato-gastroentérologie, Centre Hospitalier de Voiron, CHU Grenoble-Alpes, Voiron, France
| | - Tarik Asselah
- Service d'hépatologie, Hôpital Beaujon, APHP, Clichy, France
| | - Xavier Causse
- Service d'hépato-gastroentérologie et oncologie digestive, CHR Orléans, Orléans, France
| | | | | | - Nathalie Ganne-Carrié
- Service d'hépatologie, Hôpital Avicenne, APHP; université Sorbonne Paris Nord, Bobigny, France
| | - Christophe Bureau
- Service d'hépatologie, Hôpital Rangueil, CHU Toulouse, Toulouse, France
| | - Victor de Lédinghen
- Service d'hépato-gastroentérologie, Hôpital Haut-Lévêque, CHU Bordeaux, Pessac & INSERM U1053, Université de Bordeaux, Bordeaux, France
| | - Marc Bourlière
- Service d'hépato-gastroentérologie, Hôpital Saint Joseph & INSERM UMR 1252 IRD SESSTIM Aix Marseille Université, Marseille, France
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14
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The Predictive Role of Hepatitis B Biomarkers on HBV Reactivation following Direct-Acting Antiviral Therapy in HBV/HCV Coinfected Patients. Viruses 2022; 14:v14081812. [PMID: 36016434 PMCID: PMC9414824 DOI: 10.3390/v14081812] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/14/2022] [Revised: 07/19/2022] [Accepted: 08/11/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Hepatitis B and C (HBV/HCV) coinfected patients have a potential risk of hepatitis B reactivation (HBVr) after direct-acting antivirals (DAAs) treatment. The study intends to investigate the predictive role of HBV biomarkers in HBVr. Forty-six HBV/HCV coinfected patients receiving DAAs were enrolled. All patients completed treatment and follow-up to the 12th-week post-DAA treatment (P12). Blood samples were measured for HBV biomarkers, including hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg), hepatitis B core-related antigen (HBcrAg), and HBV pregenomic RNA (HBV pgRNA). The predictive factors for HBVr after DAA treatment were analyzed. Among 31 patients without nucleot(s)ide analogue (NA) treatment, seven (22.5%, 7/31) developed HBVr without hepatitis flare-up. Patients with HBVr had higher HBsAg titers than those without HBVr from baseline to P12 (p = 0.008, 0.009, 0.004, and 0.006 at baseline, week 4, end of treatment, and P12, respectively). The baseline HBsAg level was the only predictive factor associated with HBVr (HR, 2.303; 95% CI, 1.086−4.882; p = 0.030). In predicting HBVr, a baseline HBsAg titer > 20 IU/mL had a sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, and negative predictive value of 85.7%, 75.0%, 50%, and 94.7%, respectively. No patient had HBVr if the baseline HBsAg titer was <8 IU/mL. Serum HBcrAg and HBV pgRNA levels had no role in predicting HBVr. In conclusion, HBV/HCV coinfected patients are at risk of HBVr after DAA treatment. The baseline HBsAg level was the predictive factor associated with HBVr. Patients with a baseline HBsAg titer < 8 IU/mL can be considered as not having HBVr.
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15
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Wang FD, Zhou J, Li LQ, Wang ML, Tao YC, Wang YH, Zhang DM, Chen EQ. Serum Pregenomic RNA Combined With Hepatitis B Core-Related Antigen Helps Predict the Risk of Virological Relapse After Discontinuation of Nucleos(t)ide Analogs in Patients With Chronic Hepatitis B. Front Microbiol 2022; 13:901233. [PMID: 35814664 PMCID: PMC9257105 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2022.901233] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/21/2022] [Accepted: 05/30/2022] [Indexed: 12/01/2022] Open
Abstract
Background and Aim Cessation of nucleos(t)ide analogs (NAs) therapy in patients with chronic hepatitis B (CHB) is uncommon. Although criteria for discontinuation appear in some guidelines, the indicators for assessing discontinuation of NAs are limited, whether NAs can be safely ceased remains a difficult clinical issue. Our study aimed to investigate the role of serum pregenomic RNA (pgRNA) and hepatitis B core-related antigen (HBcrAg) at the end of treatment (EOT) in guiding the safe discontinuation of NAs in CHB patients. Methods This is a retrospective study, clinical data of all CHB patients who discontinued NAs treatment at West China Hospital between June 2020 and January 2021 were collected, including EOT pgRNA, HBcrAg, hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg), etc. All patients should meet the Asian-Pacific guideline for discontinuation. Observing virological relapse (VR) rates during 1 year of NAs discontinuation and analyzing the relationship between EOT pgRNA, HBcrAg, and VR. Results A total of 64 patients were enrolled in this study and 33 (51.5%) patients experienced VR in 1 year. EOT pgRNA positivity (OR = 14.59, p = 0.026) and EOT higher HBcrAg levels (OR = 14.14, p = 0.001) were independent risk factors for VR. The area under the receiver-operating characteristic (AUROC) value of EOT HBcrAg for VR was 0.817 (p < 0.001), optimal cut-off value was 3.3 log10 U/mL. Patients with EOT pgRNA positivity and EOT HBcrAg >3.3 log10 U/mL were more likely to experience VR after discontinuation of NAs (88.9 vs. 45.5%, p = 0.027). Conclusion According to current guidelines, a higher VR rate occurs after cessation of NAs. EOT pgRNA positivity and higher HBcrAg level carries a higher risk of VR. Combining these novel markers can better help us assess whether patients can safely cease NAs treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fa-Da Wang
- Center of Infectious Diseases, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
- Department of Infectious Disease, Chengdu Third People’s Hospital, Chengdu, China
| | - Jing Zhou
- Center of Infectious Diseases, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Lan-Qing Li
- Center of Infectious Diseases, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Meng-Lan Wang
- Center of Infectious Diseases, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Ya-Cao Tao
- Center of Infectious Diseases, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Yong-Hong Wang
- Center of Infectious Diseases, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Dong-Mei Zhang
- Center of Infectious Diseases, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - En-Qiang Chen
- Center of Infectious Diseases, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
- *Correspondence: En-Qiang Chen,
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16
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Hawkins C, Kang M, Bhattacharya D, Cloherty G, Kuhns M, Matining R, Thio C, Samaneka W, Chinula L, Mulinda N, Badal-Faesen S, Sugandhavesa P, Lama J, Gaseitsiwe S, Holzmayer V, Anderson M, Murphy R, Peters M. Hepatitis B surface antigen and hepatitis B RNA changes in HIV/hepatitis B virus co-infected participants receiving hepatitis B virus-active antiretroviral therapy. AIDS 2022; 36:975-984. [PMID: 35165216 PMCID: PMC9167724 DOI: 10.1097/qad.0000000000003193] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION With advances in hepatitis B virus (HBV) therapies, there is a need to identify serum biomarkers that assess the HBV covalently closed circular DNA (cccDNA) reservoir and predict functional cure in HIV/HBV co-infection. METHODS In this retrospective study, combining samples from HIV/HBV co-infected participants enrolled in two ACTG interventional trials, proportions achieving HBsAg less than 0.05 log10 IU/ml and HBV RNA less than log10 1.65 U/ml or not detected (LLoQ/NEG) in response to DUAL [tenofovir TDF+emtricitabine (FTC)] vs. MONO [FTC or lamivudine (3TC)] HBV-active ART, were measured. Predictors of qHBsAg less than 0.05 log10 IU/ml were evaluated in logistic regression models. RESULTS There were 88 participants [58% women, median age 34; 47 on DUAL vs. 41 on MONO HBV-active ART]. Twenty-one percent achieved HBsAg less than 0.05 log10 IU/ml (30% DUAL vs. 10% MONO). Time to HBsAg less than 0.05 log10 IU/ml was lower (P = 0.02) and the odds of achieving HBsAg less than 0.05 log10 IU/ml were higher (P = 0.07) in DUAL participants. HBV RNA became less than LLoQ/NEG in 47% (DUAL 60% vs. MONO 33%). qHBsAg less than 3 log10 IU/ml was the strongest predictor of HBsAg less than 0.05 log10 IU/ml. CONCLUSION This study supports current recommendations of TDF-based DUAL-HBV active ART for initial use in HIV/HBV co-infection. HBV RNA could be a useful marker of treatment response in HIV/HBV co-infected patients on HBV-active ART.
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Affiliation(s)
- Claudia Hawkins
- Department of Medicine, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University CRS, Chicago, Illinois
| | - Minhee Kang
- Center for Biostatistics in AIDS Research, Department of Biostatistics, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Debika Bhattacharya
- David Geffen School of Medicine, Division of Infectious Diseases, University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), California
| | - Gavin Cloherty
- Infectious Diseases Research, Abbott, Abbott Park, Illinois
| | - Mary Kuhns
- Infectious Diseases Research, Abbott, Abbott Park, Illinois
| | - Roy Matining
- Center for Biostatistics in AIDS Research, Department of Biostatistics, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Chloe Thio
- Department of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | | | - Lameck Chinula
- UNC Project Malawi CRS, UNC Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology's Division of Global Women's Health, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA
| | | | - Sharlaa Badal-Faesen
- Clinical HIV Research Unit, Department of Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa
| | | | - Javier Lama
- Asociacion Civil Impacta Salud y Educacion, Lima, Peru, and Botswana Harvard School of Public Health AIDS Initiative Partnership, Botswana
| | - Simani Gaseitsiwe
- Clinical HIV Research Unit, Department of Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa
| | - Vera Holzmayer
- Infectious Diseases Research, Abbott, Abbott Park, Illinois
| | - Mark Anderson
- Infectious Diseases Research, Abbott, Abbott Park, Illinois
| | - Robert Murphy
- Department of Medicine, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University CRS, Chicago, Illinois
| | - Marion Peters
- Department of Medicine, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University CRS, Chicago, Illinois
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17
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Wang Y, Liao H, Deng Z, Liu Y, Bian D, Ren Y, Yu G, Jiang Y, Bai L, Liu S, Liu M, Zhou L, Chen Y, Duan Z, Lu F, Zheng S. Serum HBV RNA predicts HBeAg clearance and seroconversion in patients with chronic hepatitis B treated with nucleos(t)ide analogues. J Viral Hepat 2022; 29:420-431. [PMID: 35274400 PMCID: PMC9311425 DOI: 10.1111/jvh.13671] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/02/2021] [Revised: 01/29/2022] [Accepted: 02/22/2022] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
This study evaluated the predictive value of serum HBV DNA, HBV RNA, HBcrAg, HBsAg, intrahepatic HBV DNA and cccDNA for HBeAg clearance and seroconversion during long-term treatment with nucleos(t)ide analogues (NAs) in patients with chronic hepatitis B (CHB). A single centre, prospective cohort of CHB patients was used for this study. Serum HBV RNA levels were retrospectively measured at baseline, 6, 12, 24, 36, 48, 60, 72 and 84 months post-NAs treatment. Serum HBsAg and HBcrAg levels were quantified at baseline, month 6, 60 and 72. Histological samples from liver biopsy at baseline and month 60 were analysed for intrahepatic HBV DNA and cccDNA. Eighty-three HBeAg-positive patients were enrolled with a median follow-up time of 108 months (range 18-138 months). Of them, 53 (63.86%) patients achieved HBeAg clearance, and 37 (44.58%) achieved HBeAg seroconversion. Cox multivariate analysis showed that only baseline HBV RNA was independently associated with HBeAg clearance and seroconversion (<5.45 log10 copies/mL, HR = 5.06, 95% CI: 1.87-13.71, p = .001; HR = 3.38, 95% CI: 1.28-8.91, p = .01). The independent association with HBeAg clearance and seroconversion remained for HBV RNA levels at month 6 (<4.72 log10 copies/mL, HR = 4.16, 95% CI: 1.61-10.72, p = .003; HR = 6.52, 95% CI: 1.85-22.94, p = .003) and month 12 (<4.08 log10 copies/mL, HR = 3.68, 95% CI: 1.96-6.90, p < .001; HR = 2.79, 95% CI: 1.31-5.94, p = .008). The AUCs of baseline HBV RNA for predicting the HBeAg clearance (0.83, 95% CI: 0.70-0.96, 0.83, 95% CI: 0.70-0.96 and 0.82, 95% CI: 0.69-0.95 respectively) and seroconversion (0.89, 95% CI: 0.77-1.00; 0.81, 95% CI: 0.66-0.95 and 0.84, 95% CI: 0.71-0.98 respectively) at month 36, 60 and 84 were higher than those of HBV DNA, HBsAg and HBcrAg. In conclusion, lower serum HBV RNA at baseline, month 6 and 12 post-NAs treatment could predict HBeAg clearance and seroconversion during long-term NAs treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yang Wang
- Liver Disease CenterBeijing YouAn HospitalCapital Medical UniversityBeijingChina,Beijing Municipal Key Laboratory of Liver Failure and Artificial Liver Treatment & ResearchBeijing YouAn HospitalCapital Medical UniversityBeijingChina
| | - Hao Liao
- Department of Microbiology and Infectious Disease CenterSchool of Basic Medical SciencesPeking University Health Science CenterBeijingChina,Intervention and Cell Therapy CenterPeking University Shenzhen HospitalShenzhen Peking University‐The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology Medical CenterShenzhenChina
| | - Zhongping Deng
- Academy for Advanced Interdisciplinary StudiesPeking UniversityBeijingChina,Hunan Provincial Key Laboratory of Gene Diagnostic TechnologyChangshaChina
| | - Yanna Liu
- Department of Microbiology and Infectious Disease CenterSchool of Basic Medical SciencesPeking University Health Science CenterBeijingChina
| | - Dandan Bian
- Liver Disease CenterBeijing YouAn HospitalCapital Medical UniversityBeijingChina,Beijing Municipal Key Laboratory of Liver Failure and Artificial Liver Treatment & ResearchBeijing YouAn HospitalCapital Medical UniversityBeijingChina
| | - Yan Ren
- Liver Disease CenterBeijing YouAn HospitalCapital Medical UniversityBeijingChina,Beijing Municipal Key Laboratory of Liver Failure and Artificial Liver Treatment & ResearchBeijing YouAn HospitalCapital Medical UniversityBeijingChina
| | - Guangxin Yu
- Department of Microbiology and Infectious Disease CenterSchool of Basic Medical SciencesPeking University Health Science CenterBeijingChina
| | - Yingying Jiang
- Liver Disease CenterBeijing YouAn HospitalCapital Medical UniversityBeijingChina,Beijing Municipal Key Laboratory of Liver Failure and Artificial Liver Treatment & ResearchBeijing YouAn HospitalCapital Medical UniversityBeijingChina
| | - Li Bai
- Liver Disease CenterBeijing YouAn HospitalCapital Medical UniversityBeijingChina,Beijing Municipal Key Laboratory of Liver Failure and Artificial Liver Treatment & ResearchBeijing YouAn HospitalCapital Medical UniversityBeijingChina
| | - Shuang Liu
- Liver Disease CenterBeijing YouAn HospitalCapital Medical UniversityBeijingChina,Beijing Municipal Key Laboratory of Liver Failure and Artificial Liver Treatment & ResearchBeijing YouAn HospitalCapital Medical UniversityBeijingChina
| | - Mei Liu
- Liver Disease CenterBeijing YouAn HospitalCapital Medical UniversityBeijingChina,Beijing Municipal Key Laboratory of Liver Failure and Artificial Liver Treatment & ResearchBeijing YouAn HospitalCapital Medical UniversityBeijingChina
| | - Li Zhou
- Liver Disease CenterBeijing YouAn HospitalCapital Medical UniversityBeijingChina,Beijing Municipal Key Laboratory of Liver Failure and Artificial Liver Treatment & ResearchBeijing YouAn HospitalCapital Medical UniversityBeijingChina
| | - Yu Chen
- Liver Disease CenterBeijing YouAn HospitalCapital Medical UniversityBeijingChina,Beijing Municipal Key Laboratory of Liver Failure and Artificial Liver Treatment & ResearchBeijing YouAn HospitalCapital Medical UniversityBeijingChina
| | - Zhongping Duan
- Liver Disease CenterBeijing YouAn HospitalCapital Medical UniversityBeijingChina,Beijing Municipal Key Laboratory of Liver Failure and Artificial Liver Treatment & ResearchBeijing YouAn HospitalCapital Medical UniversityBeijingChina
| | - Fengmin Lu
- Department of Microbiology and Infectious Disease CenterSchool of Basic Medical SciencesPeking University Health Science CenterBeijingChina
| | - Sujun Zheng
- Liver Disease CenterBeijing YouAn HospitalCapital Medical UniversityBeijingChina,Beijing Municipal Key Laboratory of Liver Failure and Artificial Liver Treatment & ResearchBeijing YouAn HospitalCapital Medical UniversityBeijingChina
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18
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Tseng CW, Liu WC, Chen CY, Chang TT, Tseng KC. Impact of HCV viremia on HBV biomarkers in patients coinfected with HBV and HCV. BMC Infect Dis 2022; 22:351. [PMID: 35397497 PMCID: PMC8994285 DOI: 10.1186/s12879-022-07326-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/20/2021] [Accepted: 03/29/2022] [Indexed: 12/05/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUNDS Hepatitis B virus (HBV) biomarkers reflect the status of HBV infection; however, their role in patients with chronic hepatitis B and C (HBV/HCV) coinfection remains unknown. This study evaluated the characteristics of HBV biomarkers in patients with chronic HBV/HCV coinfection. METHODS One hundred untreated HBV/HCV coinfected patients were enrolled. Active viral infection was defined as viral load above 2000 U/L and 15 U/L for HBV and HCV, respectively. Blood samples were analyzed for HBV biomarkers, including hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg), hepatitis B core-related antigen (HBcrAg), HBV DNA, and HBV pregenomic RNA (HBV pgRNA). The impact of HCV viremia was also studied. RESULTS A total of 15 patients were HBV-inactive/HCV-inactive, 63 patients were HBV-inactive/HCV-active, 14 patients were HBV-active/HCV-inactive and 8 patients were HBV-active/HCV-active. A total of 71 (71%) patients were active HCV and 22 (22%) were active HBV. HBsAg, HBcrAg, and HBV DNA correlated with each other (P < 0.001). HBV pgRNA displayed no correlations with HBV DNA, HBsAg, or HBcrAg. Patients with HCV viremia had significantly lower HBV DNA, HBsAg, and HBcrAg levels as well as higher HBV pgRNA levels and lower HBV DNA:pgRNA ratio than those without viremia (HBV DNA, P < 0.001; HBsAg, P = 0.015; HBcrAg, P = 0.006; HBV pgRNA, P = 0.073; and HBV DNA:pgRNA ratio, P < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS In patients coinfected with HBV and HCV, HBsAg, HBcrAg, and HBV DNA significantly correlated with each other. HBV and HCV coinfected patients with HCV viremia have lower HBV DNA, HBsAg, HBcrAg, and HBV DNA:pgRNA ratio as well as higher HBV pgRNA levels.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chih-Wei Tseng
- Department of Internal Medicine, Dalin Tzu Chi Hospital, Buddhist Tzu Chi Medical Foundation, No 2, Ming-Shen Road, Dalin Town, Chia-Yi County, 622, Taiwan
- School of Medicine, Tzuchi University, Hualien, Taiwan
| | - Wen-Chun Liu
- Department of Internal Medicine, National Cheng Kung University Hospital, Tainan, Taiwan
- College of Medicine, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan, Taiwan
- Center of Infectious Disease and Signaling Research, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan, Taiwan
| | - Chi-Yi Chen
- Department of Internal Medicine, Ditmanson Medical Foundation Chia-Yi Christian Hospital, Chia-Yi, Taiwan
| | - Ting-Tsung Chang
- Department of Internal Medicine, National Cheng Kung University Hospital, Tainan, Taiwan
- College of Medicine, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan, Taiwan
- Center of Infectious Disease and Signaling Research, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan, Taiwan
| | - Kuo-Chih Tseng
- Department of Internal Medicine, Dalin Tzu Chi Hospital, Buddhist Tzu Chi Medical Foundation, No 2, Ming-Shen Road, Dalin Town, Chia-Yi County, 622, Taiwan.
- School of Medicine, Tzuchi University, Hualien, Taiwan.
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19
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Tao Y, Wang M, Liao J, Cheng X, He M, Zhang D, Zhou T, Chen J, Chen E, Tang H. Dynamics of Serum Pregenome RNA in Chronic Hepatitis B Patients Receiving 96-Month Nucleos(t)ide Analog Therapy. Front Med (Lausanne) 2022; 9:787770. [PMID: 35295596 PMCID: PMC8918695 DOI: 10.3389/fmed.2022.787770] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/01/2021] [Accepted: 01/25/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Tissue covalently closed circular DNA (cccDNA) can reflect the activity of HBV replication. However, it is impractical to assess intrahepatic cccDNA in every outpatient. Serum pregenome RNA (pgRNA) is transcribed from intrahepatic cccDNA and may reflect the activity of intrahepatic cccDNA. We explored the dynamics and the potential role of serum pgRNA in patients receiving long-term NAs treatment. Methods Serum pgRNA, HBV DNA, HBsAg, HBeAg, and ALT levels were quantified, and the relationships between serum pgRNA and these common clinical indicators before and after the treatment were investigated. Results Serum pgRNA showed dynamic change during the 96-month NAs therapy, and serum pgRNA levels were positive and detectable in 19 patients with undetectable serum HBV DNA. Serum pgRNA showed strong and positive correlation with serum HBV DNA (r = 0.693, p < 0.001) and serum HBsAg levels (r = 0.621, p < 0.001) at baseline. Patients with HBeAg seroconversion had lower baseline serum pgRNA levels (p = 0.002). The area under the curve (AUC) of baseline serum pgRNA for predicting HBeAg seroconversion was 0.742 (95% CI: 0.606–0.850) with 63.16% sensitivity and 80.56% specificity. The cumulative HBeAg seroconversion rate was higher in patients with low serum pgRNA (p = 0.001). Conclusion Serum pgRNA of low level at baseline or great decline at month 6 may independently predict the high incidence of undetectable serum pgRNA at year 4 following NAs therapy, and the baseline serum pgRNA may serve as a novel predictor for HBeAg seroconversion during NAs therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yachao Tao
- Center of Infectious Diseases, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
- Division of Infectious Diseases, State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Menglan Wang
- Center of Infectious Diseases, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
- Division of Infectious Diseases, State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Juan Liao
- Center of Infectious Diseases, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
- Division of Infectious Diseases, State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Xing Cheng
- Center of Infectious Diseases, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
- Division of Infectious Diseases, State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Min He
- Center of Infectious Diseases, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
- Division of Infectious Diseases, State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Dongmei Zhang
- Center of Infectious Diseases, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
- Division of Infectious Diseases, State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Taoyou Zhou
- Center of Infectious Diseases, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
- Division of Infectious Diseases, State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Jie Chen
- Shanghai RenDu Biotechnology Co. Ltd, Shanghai, China
| | - Enqiang Chen
- Center of Infectious Diseases, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
- Division of Infectious Diseases, State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
- *Correspondence: Enqiang Chen
| | - Hong Tang
- Center of Infectious Diseases, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
- Division of Infectious Diseases, State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
- Hong Tang
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20
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Erken R, Zaaijer HL, Willemse SB, Bakker E, Takkenberg BB, Reesink HW, Kootstra NA. Hepatitis B core related antigen in relation to intrahepatic and circulating viral markers, before and after combination therapy. Ann Hepatol 2021; 26:100540. [PMID: 34583061 DOI: 10.1016/j.aohep.2021.100540] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/29/2021] [Revised: 03/23/2021] [Accepted: 03/24/2021] [Indexed: 02/04/2023]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION AND OBJECTIVES Covalently closed circular (ccc)DNA acts as a viral reservoir in the liver of patients with a chronic hepatitis B (CHB) infection and can only be quantified in liver biopsies. Hepatitis B core-related antigen (HBcrAg) levels in plasma/serum have been proposed to reflect intrahepatic cccDNA-levels and may therefore monitor treatment efficacy. This study aimed to validate the relationship between HBcrAg and other intrahepatic and circulating viral markers in CHB patients with high viral load, before and after combination treatment. MATERIALS AND METHODS Plasma/serum levels of HBcrAg, HBsAg, HBV-DNA, and HBV pregenomic RNA (HBV-pgRNA), and intrahepatic cccDNA and HBV-DNA levels and fibrosis scores were measured in 89 CHB patients with HBV-DNA levels of >100,000 copies/mL (17,182 IU/mL). Measurements were done before and after a 48-week treatment with pegylated interferon alfa-2a and adefovir in a prospective study (ISRCTN77073364). RESULTS Baseline HBcrAg-values correlated strongly with intrahepatic cccDNA (ρ 0.77, p < 0.001), intrahepatic HBV-DNA (ρ 0.73, p < 0.001) and plasma/serum HBV-DNA (ρ 0.80, p < 0.001), HBV-pgRNA (ρ 0.80, p < 0.001), and to lesser extend HBsAg (ρ 0.56, p < 0.001). Baseline HBcrAg-levels could not predict functional cure (FC) but HBcrAg-levels declined more strongly in patients who developed FC or HBeAg-loss. Furthermore, most correlations persisted at the end of treatment and follow-up. CONCLUSIONS HBcrAg reflects cccDNA transcription activity more accurately than HBsAg and may replace HBV-DNA as a marker during future treatment regimens, especially when cccDNA transcription is targeted or nucleot(s)ide analogues are included in the treatment regime.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robin Erken
- Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Amsterdam Gastroenterology Endocrinology Metabolism; Medical Microbiology, Academic Medical Center, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
| | - Hans L Zaaijer
- Medical Microbiology, Academic Medical Center, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
| | - Sophie B Willemse
- Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Amsterdam Gastroenterology Endocrinology Metabolism.
| | - Ed Bakker
- Sanquin Blood Supply Foundation, Plesmanlaan 125, Amsterdam, the Netherlands..
| | - Bart B Takkenberg
- Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Amsterdam Gastroenterology Endocrinology Metabolism.
| | - Henk W Reesink
- Amsterdam UMC, location AMC, Meibergdreef 9, Amsterdam, the Netherlands.
| | - Neeltje A Kootstra
- Department of Experimental Immunology, Amsterdam UMC, Amsterdam Infection & Immunity Institute, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, Netherlands..
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21
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Lee JH, Kim HS. Current laboratory tests for diagnosis of hepatitis B virus infection. Int J Clin Pract 2021; 75:e14812. [PMID: 34487586 DOI: 10.1111/ijcp.14812] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/14/2021] [Accepted: 09/03/2021] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Hepatitis B virus (HBV) has a long history in human infectious diseases. HBV infection can progress chronically, leading to cancer. After introduction of a vaccine, the overall incidence rate of HBV infection has decreased, although it remains a health problem in many countries. PURPOSE The aim of this review was to summarise current diagnostic efforts for HBV infection and future HBV diagnosis perspectives. METHODS We reviewed and summarised current laboratory diagnosis related with HBV infection in clinical practice. RESULTS There have been various serologic- and molecular-based methods to diagnose acute or chronic HBV infection. Since intrahepatic covalently closed circular DNAs (cccDNAs) function as robust HBV replication templates, cure of chronic HBV infection is limited. Recently, new biomarkers such as hepatitis B virus core-related antigen (HBcrAg) and HBV RNA have emerged that appear to reflect intrahepatic cccDNA status. These new biomarkers should be validated before clinical usage. CONCLUSION An effective diagnostic approach and current updated knowledge of treatment response monitoring are important for HBV infection management. Brand new ultrasensitive and accurate immunologic methods may pave the way to manage HBV infection in parallel with immunotherapy era.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jong-Han Lee
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Yonsei University Wonju College of Medicine, Wonju, Republic of Korea
| | - Hyon-Suk Kim
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea
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22
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Hayashi S, Nagaoka K, Tanaka Y. Blood-Based Biomarkers in Hepatitis B Virus-Related Hepatocellular Carcinoma, Including the Viral Genome and Glycosylated Proteins. Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:ijms222011051. [PMID: 34681709 PMCID: PMC8540379 DOI: 10.3390/ijms222011051] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/31/2021] [Revised: 10/08/2021] [Accepted: 10/11/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection is a major risk factor for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) development and is a global public health issue. High performance biomarkers can aid the early detection of HCC development in HBV-infected individuals. In addition, advances in the understanding of the pathogenesis of HBV infection and in clinical laboratory techniques have enabled the establishment of disease-specific tests, prediction of the progression of liver diseases, including HCC, and auxiliary diagnosis of HCC, using blood-based methods instead of biopsies of liver or HCC tissues. Viral factors such as the HBV genotype, HBV genetic mutations, HBV DNA, and HBV-related antigens, as well as host factors, such as tumor-associated proteins and post-translational modifications, especially glycosylated proteins, can be blood-based, disease-specific biomarkers for HCC development in HBV-infected patients. In this review, we describe the clinical applications of viral biomarkers, including the HBV genome and glycosylated proteins, for patients at a risk of HBV-related HCC, based on their molecular mechanisms. In addition, we introduce promising biomarker candidates for practical use, including colony stimulating factor 1 receptor (CSF1R), extracellular vesicles, and cell-free, circulating tumor DNA. The clinical use of such surrogate markers may lead to a better understanding of the risk of disease progression and early detection of HCC in HBV-infected patients, thereby improving their prognosis.
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23
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Watanabe T, Inoue T, Tanaka Y. Hepatitis B Core-Related Antigen and New Therapies for Hepatitis B. Microorganisms 2021; 9:microorganisms9102083. [PMID: 34683404 PMCID: PMC8537336 DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms9102083] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/08/2021] [Revised: 09/29/2021] [Accepted: 09/30/2021] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
The hepatitis B core-related antigen (HBcrAg) is an unprecedented novel HBV biomarker that plays an essential role in reflecting covalently closed circular DNA (cccDNA) in chronic hepatitis B (CHB) because its levels correlate with intrahepatic cccDNA and serum HBV DNA. In this review, we describe the clinical application of serum HBcrAg in CHB patients, with a particular focus on new therapies targeting intrahepatic HBV replication. (1) HBcrAg can be detected in clinical cases where serum HBV DNA is undetectable during anti-HBV therapy. (2) A highly sensitive HBcrAg assay (iTACT-HBcrAg) may be useful for monitoring HBV reactivation, as an alternative to HBV DNA. (3) Decreased HBcrAg levels have been significantly associated with promising outcomes in CHB patients, reducing the risk of progression or recurrence of hepatocellular carcinoma. Additionally, we focus on and discuss several drugs in development that target HBV replication, and monitoring HBcrAg may be useful for determining the therapeutic efficacies of such novel drugs. In conclusion, HBcrAg, especially when measured by the recently developed iTACT-HBcrAg assay, may be the most appropriate surrogate marker, over other HBV biomarkers, to predict disease progression and treatment response in CHB patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Takehisa Watanabe
- Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Faculty of Life Sciences, Kumamoto University, Kumamoto 860-8556, Japan;
| | - Takako Inoue
- Department of Clinical Laboratory Medicine, Nagoya City University Hospital, Nagoya 467-8602, Japan;
| | - Yasuhito Tanaka
- Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Faculty of Life Sciences, Kumamoto University, Kumamoto 860-8556, Japan;
- Correspondence:
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24
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Meena BL, Premkumar M, Roy A, Singh V. Is HBV RNA a valid marker for predicting sustained viral response for nucleoside analogue cessation? Gut 2021; 70:2008-2009. [PMID: 33158981 DOI: 10.1136/gutjnl-2020-323360] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/13/2020] [Revised: 10/25/2020] [Accepted: 10/27/2020] [Indexed: 12/08/2022]
Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Akash Roy
- Hepatology, PGIMER, Chandigarh, India
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25
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Liao G, Ding X, Xia M, Wu Y, Chen H, Fan R, Zhang X, Cai S, Peng J. Hepatitis B Core-Related Antigen is a Biomarker for off-Treatment Relapse After Long-Term Nucleos(t)ide Analog Therapy in Patients with Chronic Hepatitis B. Int J Gen Med 2021; 14:4967-4976. [PMID: 34483685 PMCID: PMC8409517 DOI: 10.2147/ijgm.s321253] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/25/2021] [Accepted: 07/16/2021] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Objective It remains unknown how to stratify the risk of clinical relapse of chronic hepatitis B (CHB) patients after stopping nucleos(t)ide analogs (NAs) antiviral therapy. Methods The current post hoc analysis included 122 non-cirrhotic patients with chronic hepatitis B virus infection who were positive for hepatitis B envelope antigen (HBeAg) and discontinued long-term NA therapy after achieving HBeAg seroconversion for a median of 2.5 years. Post hoc analysis of end-of-treatment (EOT) hepatitis B core-related antigen (HBcrAg) levels was performed using a chemiluminescent enzyme immunoassay. Results A total of 78/122 (63.9%) patients experienced sustained response after NAs cessation, and 44/122 (36.1%) patients experienced clinical relapse. In multivariate analysis, EOT HBcrAg (hazard ratio [HR] = 2.105 95% CI: 1.440–3.077, p < 0.001), hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) ≥100 IU/mL (HR = 4.406, 95% CI 1.567–12.389, p = 0.005) and age (HR = 1.051, 95% CI: 1.010–1.093, p = 0.049) were independently associated with clinical relapse. A cut-off value of 4.0 log10 U/mL of HBcrAg was defined by maximized Youden’s index. An EOT HBcrAg level of ≥4.0 log10 U/mL was associated with higher risks of clinical relapse (65.8% vs 23.2%, p<0.001) and HBeAg reversion (27.5% vs 1.6%, p < 0.001). In majority of patients (n = 91) who had a high EOT HBsAg level (≥100 IU/mL), serum HBcrAg level could further discriminate patients at low risk of clinical relapse. Patients with an HBcrAg level ≥4.0 log10 U/mL had significantly higher cumulative incidence rates of clinical relapse (78.1% vs 29.4%, p < 0.001) and HBeAg reversion (29.4% vs 0%, p < 0.001). Conclusion Serum EOT HBcrAg level can be a predictor of off-treatment relapse in patients with CHB. An HBcrAg level of 4.0 log10 U/mL may identify patients at high risk of clinical relapse after treatment cessation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guichan Liao
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, People's Republic of China.,State Key Laboratory of Organ Failure Research, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Viral Hepatitis Research, Guangzhou, People's Republic of China
| | - Xia Ding
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, People's Republic of China.,State Key Laboratory of Organ Failure Research, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Viral Hepatitis Research, Guangzhou, People's Republic of China
| | - Muye Xia
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, People's Republic of China.,State Key Laboratory of Organ Failure Research, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Viral Hepatitis Research, Guangzhou, People's Republic of China
| | - Yin Wu
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, People's Republic of China.,State Key Laboratory of Organ Failure Research, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Viral Hepatitis Research, Guangzhou, People's Republic of China.,Department of Infectious Diseases, Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, People's Republic of China
| | - Hongjie Chen
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, People's Republic of China.,State Key Laboratory of Organ Failure Research, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Viral Hepatitis Research, Guangzhou, People's Republic of China
| | - Rong Fan
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, People's Republic of China.,State Key Laboratory of Organ Failure Research, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Viral Hepatitis Research, Guangzhou, People's Republic of China
| | - Xiaoyong Zhang
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, People's Republic of China.,State Key Laboratory of Organ Failure Research, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Viral Hepatitis Research, Guangzhou, People's Republic of China
| | - Shaohang Cai
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, People's Republic of China.,State Key Laboratory of Organ Failure Research, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Viral Hepatitis Research, Guangzhou, People's Republic of China
| | - Jie Peng
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, People's Republic of China.,State Key Laboratory of Organ Failure Research, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Viral Hepatitis Research, Guangzhou, People's Republic of China
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26
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Jaroenlapnopparat A, Chayanupatkul M, Tangkijvanich P. Novel viral markers and the prediction of off-treatment relapse in chronic hepatitis B patients: A systematic review. J Gastroenterol Hepatol 2021; 36:2349-2362. [PMID: 33811375 DOI: 10.1111/jgh.15516] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/18/2021] [Revised: 03/02/2021] [Accepted: 03/27/2021] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND AIM Hepatitis B core-related antigen (HBcrAg) and hepatitis B virus RNA (HBV RNA) are novel markers that reflect intrahepatic cccDNA and could be useful in the prediction of relapse after nucleos(t)ide analogues (NA) discontinuation. The aim of the study is to perform a systematic review on this issue. METHODS Medline/Pubmed database was searched using text terms related to HBcrAg, RNA, NAs, discontinuation, and relapse. Included studies were those that enrolled adult patients who had been on NAs for more than 6 months with available information on end-of-treatment (EOT) HBcrAg and/or HBV RNA and relapse rates. RESULTS Sixteen studies were included. Virological and clinical relapse rates ranged from 11% to 100% and 11% to 73%, respectively. Low or undetectable EOT HBcrAg levels were associated with low off-treatment relapse rates in most studies with area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUROC) of 0.69-0.70 for predicting virological relapse (VR) and 0.61-0.77 for predicting clinical relapse (CR). Undetectable EOT HBV RNA was associated with a lower risk of off-treatment relapse with AUROC of 0.65-0.76 for predicting VR and 0.66-0.73 for predicting CR. Combined EOT HBcrAg and HBV RNA performed better in predicting off-treatment relapse than either test alone with AUROC of 0.816-0.846 for predicting CR. None of the patients with double-negative HBV RNA and HBcrAg developed CR. CONCLUSION Combining HBcrAg with HBV RNA or HBsAg improved the discriminating abilities in the prediction of off-treatment relapse of each test. Patients with double-negative HBcrAg and HBV RNA at EOT had low risks of relapse and could be considered for NA discontinuation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aunchalee Jaroenlapnopparat
- Alternative and Complementary Medicine for Gastrointestinal and Liver Diseases Research Unit, Department of Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Maneerat Chayanupatkul
- Alternative and Complementary Medicine for Gastrointestinal and Liver Diseases Research Unit, Department of Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Pisit Tangkijvanich
- Center of Excellence in Hepatitis and Liver Cancer, Faculty of Medicine, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, Thailand
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27
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Ding WB, Wang MC, Yu J, Huang G, Sun DP, Liu L, Zhang JN, Yang Y, Liu H, Zhou WP, Yang F, Yuan SX. HBV/Pregenomic RNA Increases the Stemness and Promotes the Development of HBV-Related HCC Through Reciprocal Regulation With Insulin-Like Growth Factor 2 mRNA-Binding Protein 3. Hepatology 2021; 74:1480-1495. [PMID: 33825218 DOI: 10.1002/hep.31850] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/09/2020] [Revised: 02/22/2021] [Accepted: 03/14/2021] [Indexed: 01/04/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND AIMS HBV-pgRNA (pregenomic RNA) has been proposed for predicting the response of nucleos(t)ide analogue (NA) treatment, guiding discontinuation of NA therapy and monitoring the emergence of viral mutations. However, the contributions of HBV-pgRNA to HCC remain open for study. APPROACH AND RESULTS Double-center cohorts of serum samples with undetectable serum HBV-DNA (below the lower limit of detection) were obtained from long-term NA-treated (≥48 weeks) HBV-related HCC patients. The correlation between serum pgRNA concentration and the prognosis of HCC were analyzed. The role pgRNA played in HCC development was assessed both in vitro and in vivo. Our findings revealed that for patients who underwent long-term NA therapy with undetectable serum HBV-DNA, patients with high serum pgRNA expression had a poorer overall survival rate and higher cumulative recurrence rate after hepatectomy. Experiments demonstrated that pgRNA promotes proliferation, stemness, and tumorigenicity of HCC cells. Mechanistically, we found that pgRNA could up-regulate the expression of insulin-like growth factor 2 mRNA-binding protein 3 (IGF2BP3), a well-proven oncoprotein, at the posttranscriptional level. Furthermore, interferon (IFN)-α-2a could degrade the stability of pgRNA through increasing its N6-methyladenosine (m6A) RNA modification. Collectively, our findings uncover that serum pgRNA could serve as a potential biomarker for predicting the prognosis and recurrence of HCC in patients who received long-term NA therapy with undetectable serum HBV-DNA; and the pgRNA-IGF2BP3 axis plays an important role in the development of HBV-related HCC. Moreover, IFN-α-2a could reduce the stability of pgRNA by increasing its m6A RNA modification level, thereby suppressing the development of HBV-related HCC. CONCLUSIONS In conclusion, our studies reveal a significance and mechanism of HBV-pgRNA in increasing stemness features and offer a potential prognostic marker and a therapeutic target for HBV-related HCC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wen-Bin Ding
- The Third Department of Hepatic Surgery, Eastern Hepatobiliary Surgery Hospital, Second Military Medical University, Shanghai, China.,Key Laboratory of Signaling Regulation and Targeting Therapy of Liver Cancer (SMMU), Ministry of Education, Shanghai, China.,Shanghai Key Laboratory of Hepatobiliary Tumor Biology (EHBH), Shanghai, China
| | - Meng-Chao Wang
- The Third Department of Hepatic Surgery, Eastern Hepatobiliary Surgery Hospital, Second Military Medical University, Shanghai, China.,Key Laboratory of Signaling Regulation and Targeting Therapy of Liver Cancer (SMMU), Ministry of Education, Shanghai, China.,Shanghai Key Laboratory of Hepatobiliary Tumor Biology (EHBH), Shanghai, China
| | - Jian Yu
- The Third Department of Hepatic Surgery, Eastern Hepatobiliary Surgery Hospital, Second Military Medical University, Shanghai, China.,Key Laboratory of Signaling Regulation and Targeting Therapy of Liver Cancer (SMMU), Ministry of Education, Shanghai, China.,Shanghai Key Laboratory of Hepatobiliary Tumor Biology (EHBH), Shanghai, China
| | - Gang Huang
- The Third Department of Hepatic Surgery, Eastern Hepatobiliary Surgery Hospital, Second Military Medical University, Shanghai, China.,Key Laboratory of Signaling Regulation and Targeting Therapy of Liver Cancer (SMMU), Ministry of Education, Shanghai, China.,Shanghai Key Laboratory of Hepatobiliary Tumor Biology (EHBH), Shanghai, China
| | - Da-Peng Sun
- The Third Department of Hepatic Surgery, Eastern Hepatobiliary Surgery Hospital, Second Military Medical University, Shanghai, China.,Key Laboratory of Signaling Regulation and Targeting Therapy of Liver Cancer (SMMU), Ministry of Education, Shanghai, China.,Shanghai Key Laboratory of Hepatobiliary Tumor Biology (EHBH), Shanghai, China
| | - Lei Liu
- The Third Department of Hepatic Surgery, Eastern Hepatobiliary Surgery Hospital, Second Military Medical University, Shanghai, China.,Key Laboratory of Signaling Regulation and Targeting Therapy of Liver Cancer (SMMU), Ministry of Education, Shanghai, China.,Shanghai Key Laboratory of Hepatobiliary Tumor Biology (EHBH), Shanghai, China
| | - Jia-Ning Zhang
- The Third Department of Hepatic Surgery, Eastern Hepatobiliary Surgery Hospital, Second Military Medical University, Shanghai, China.,Key Laboratory of Signaling Regulation and Targeting Therapy of Liver Cancer (SMMU), Ministry of Education, Shanghai, China.,Shanghai Key Laboratory of Hepatobiliary Tumor Biology (EHBH), Shanghai, China
| | - Yuan Yang
- The Third Department of Hepatic Surgery, Eastern Hepatobiliary Surgery Hospital, Second Military Medical University, Shanghai, China.,Key Laboratory of Signaling Regulation and Targeting Therapy of Liver Cancer (SMMU), Ministry of Education, Shanghai, China.,Shanghai Key Laboratory of Hepatobiliary Tumor Biology (EHBH), Shanghai, China
| | - Hui Liu
- The Third Department of Hepatic Surgery, Eastern Hepatobiliary Surgery Hospital, Second Military Medical University, Shanghai, China.,Key Laboratory of Signaling Regulation and Targeting Therapy of Liver Cancer (SMMU), Ministry of Education, Shanghai, China.,Shanghai Key Laboratory of Hepatobiliary Tumor Biology (EHBH), Shanghai, China
| | - Wei-Ping Zhou
- The Third Department of Hepatic Surgery, Eastern Hepatobiliary Surgery Hospital, Second Military Medical University, Shanghai, China.,Key Laboratory of Signaling Regulation and Targeting Therapy of Liver Cancer (SMMU), Ministry of Education, Shanghai, China.,Shanghai Key Laboratory of Hepatobiliary Tumor Biology (EHBH), Shanghai, China
| | - Fu Yang
- The Department of Medical Genetics, Second Military Medical University, Shanghai, China
| | - Sheng-Xian Yuan
- The Third Department of Hepatic Surgery, Eastern Hepatobiliary Surgery Hospital, Second Military Medical University, Shanghai, China.,Key Laboratory of Signaling Regulation and Targeting Therapy of Liver Cancer (SMMU), Ministry of Education, Shanghai, China.,Shanghai Key Laboratory of Hepatobiliary Tumor Biology (EHBH), Shanghai, China
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28
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Wang C, Pan YC, Jia ZF, Chi XM, Wang YQ, Yang N, Wu YH, Niu JQ, Jiang J. The relationship between hepatitis B virus serum DNA, RNA and quantitative hepatitis B surface antigen, and the predictive value for mother-to-child transmission: an observational cohort study. BJOG 2021; 129:241-247. [PMID: 34455680 DOI: 10.1111/1471-0528.16884] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 08/20/2021] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE To explore the relationships between hepatitis B virus (HBV) DNA, HBV RNA and hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) and to evaluate their predictive value for mother-to-child transmission of HBV. DESIGN An observational cohort study. SETTING First Hospital of Jilin University. POPULATION HBsAg-positive and hepatitis B e antigen (HBeAg) -positive pregnant women were recruited. METHODS Blood samples were collected from mothers before delivery, and HBV infection of infants was evaluated at 7 months of age. RESULTS Overall, 268 mothers and 271 infants were enrolled. HBV DNA and HBsAg levels were correlated (rs = 0.699; P < 0.001), and HBV DNA (rs = 0.500; P < 0.001) and HBsAg (rs = 0.372; P < 0.001) were both correlated with HBV RNA. The areas under the curve for HBV DNA, HBsAg and HBV RNA for prediction of infection were 0.69 (95% CI 0.57-0.82), 0.63 (95% CI 0.51-0.76) and 0.65 (95% CI 0.52-0.78), respectively. Higher HBV DNA (odds ratio [OR] 4.77, 95% CI 1.44-15.86), higher HBsAg (OR 4.13, 95% CI 1.12-15.25) and higher HBV RNA (OR 3.19, 95% CI 1.09-9.32) were risk factors for HBV infection. Analysis of the HBV DNA-RNA-HBsAg Score revealed that it was an independent predictive factor for mother-to-child transmission (the OR of Score 3 was 8.81, 95% CI 2.79-27.82). CONCLUSION HBV DNA, HBV RNA and HBsAg were correlated in HBeAg-positive pregnant women. HBsAg could be considered as a substitute marker of HBV DNA for HBeAg-positive pregnant women in low-income regions. We should pay special attention to pregnant women with high levels of all three markers. TWEETABLE ABSTRACT HBsAg could be considered as a substitute marker of HBV DNA for HBeAg-positive pregnant women in low-income regions. Special attention should be given to pregnant women with high levels of all three markers (HBV DNA, HBV RNA and HBsAg).
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Affiliation(s)
- C Wang
- Department of Hepatology, First Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun, China
| | - Y-C Pan
- Division of Clinical Research, First Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun, China
| | - Z-F Jia
- Division of Clinical Research, First Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun, China
| | - X-M Chi
- Department of Hepatology, First Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun, China
| | - Y-Q Wang
- Division of Clinical Research, First Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun, China
| | - N Yang
- Division of Clinical Research, First Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun, China
| | - Y-H Wu
- Division of Clinical Research, First Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun, China
| | - J-Q Niu
- Department of Hepatology, First Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun, China
| | - J Jiang
- Division of Clinical Research, First Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun, China
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29
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Recent developments with advancing gene therapy to treat chronic infection with hepatitis B virus. Curr Opin HIV AIDS 2021; 15:200-207. [PMID: 32141890 DOI: 10.1097/coh.0000000000000623] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
PURPOSE OF REVIEW The available vaccine and therapies against hepatitis B virus (HBV) rarely eliminate chronic infection with the virus. High mortality resulting from complicating cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma makes improving anti-HBV therapy an important priority. Recent advances with using gene therapy to counter HBV have potential and are the focus of this review. RECENT FINDINGS The stable replication-competent HBV intermediate comprising covalently closed circular DNA (cccDNA) is the template for expression of all viral genes. Inactivating cccDNA has thus been a focus of research aimed at achieving cure for HBV infection. Many studies have reported profound inhibition of replication of the virus using silencing and editing techniques. Therapeutic gene silencing with synthetic short interfering RNA is now in clinical trials. Ability to mutate and permanently inactivate cccDNA with engineered gene editors, such as those derived from CRISPR/Cas or TALENs, is particularly appealing but has not yet reached clinical evaluation. SUMMARY Gene silencing and gene editing potentially provide the means to cure HBV infection. However, achieving efficient delivery of therapeutic sequences, ensuring their specificity of action and progress with other antiviral strategies are likely to determine utility of gene therapy for chronic HBV infection.
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30
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Gao L, Hu Y, Shi X, Li X, Zhang D, Ren H. 48 weeks outcome after cessation of nucleos(t)ide analogue therapy in chronic hepatitis B patients. Ann Hepatol 2021; 19:329-334. [PMID: 31884016 DOI: 10.1016/j.aohep.2019.10.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/09/2019] [Revised: 09/22/2019] [Accepted: 10/01/2019] [Indexed: 02/04/2023]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION AND OBJECTIVE The aim of the present study was to investigate the significance of serum HBsAg levels in treatment cessation of nucleoside analogues (NAs) in patients with chronic hepatitis B (CHB) infection. METHODS In 158 CHB patients with long-term NAs treatment, 74 patients were in HBeAg negative and had a HBsAg level <1500IU/mL, 36 of whom were informed and consented to cease NAs. HBsAg, HBV DNA and liver function were examined in the 1st, 3rd, 6th, 9th and 12th month after treatment cessation. RESULTS The sustained response rate was 88.89% (32/36) within one year after NAs cessation. Sub-group analysis was based on HBsAg levels of patients with NAs cessation, there was no relapse case in 11 patients whose HBsAg <50IU/mL, and the negative predictive value (NPV) was 100%. Seroconversion of HBsAg occurred in 3 patients. 2 patients from 21 cases whose HBsAg was between 50IU/mL and 1000IU/mL relapsed. 2 of 4 patients whose in HBsAg >1000IU/mL relapsed. HBsAg of patients with a sustained response decreased slowly. In contrast, HBsAg levels increased gradually in relapsed patients, and the increase of HBsAg was precedent to relapses of HBV DNA and ALT. Multivariate analysis suggested that only HBsAg level showed a close correlation with HBV DNA relapses. ROC curve analysis suggested that the increase of HBsAg level in the 3rd and 6th month after NAs cessation had a great predictive value for relapses. CONCLUSION Monitoring of base line HBsAg level can predict outcomes of NAs cessation in HBeAg-negative chronic hepatitis B. HBsAg <50IU/mL has higher predictive values of better sustained responses in HBeAg-negative CHB patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Li Gao
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Biology for Infectious Diseases, Ministry of Education, Institute for Virus Hepatitis and Department of Infectious Diseases, the Second Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, PR China
| | - Yue Hu
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Biology for Infectious Diseases, Ministry of Education, Institute for Virus Hepatitis and Department of Infectious Diseases, the Second Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, PR China
| | - Xiaofeng Shi
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Biology for Infectious Diseases, Ministry of Education, Institute for Virus Hepatitis and Department of Infectious Diseases, the Second Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, PR China.
| | - Xin Li
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Biology for Infectious Diseases, Ministry of Education, Institute for Virus Hepatitis and Department of Infectious Diseases, the Second Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, PR China
| | - Dazhi Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Biology for Infectious Diseases, Ministry of Education, Institute for Virus Hepatitis and Department of Infectious Diseases, the Second Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, PR China
| | - Hong Ren
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Biology for Infectious Diseases, Ministry of Education, Institute for Virus Hepatitis and Department of Infectious Diseases, the Second Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, PR China
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Vachon A, Osiowy C. Novel Biomarkers of Hepatitis B Virus and Their Use in Chronic Hepatitis B Patient Management. Viruses 2021; 13:951. [PMID: 34064049 PMCID: PMC8224022 DOI: 10.3390/v13060951] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/29/2021] [Revised: 05/17/2021] [Accepted: 05/18/2021] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Even though an approved vaccine for hepatitis B virus (HBV) is available and widely used, over 257 million individuals worldwide are living with chronic hepatitis B (CHB) who require monitoring of treatment response, viral activity, and disease progression to reduce their risk of HBV-related liver disease. There is currently a lack of predictive markers to guide clinical management and to allow treatment cessation with reduced risk of viral reactivation. Novel HBV biomarkers are in development in an effort to improve the management of people living with CHB, to predict disease outcomes of CHB, and further understand the natural history of HBV. This review focuses on novel HBV biomarkers and their use in the clinical setting, including the description of and methodology for quantification of serum HBV RNA, hepatitis B core-related antigen (HBcrAg), quantitative hepatitis B surface antigen (qHBsAg), including ultrasensitive HBsAg detection, quantitative anti-hepatitis B core antigen (qAHBc), and detection of HBV nucleic acid-related antigen (HBV-NRAg). The utility of these biomarkers in treatment-naïve and treated CHB patients in several clinical situations is further discussed. Novel HBV biomarkers have been observed to provide critical clinical information and show promise for improving patient management and our understanding of the natural history of HBV.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alicia Vachon
- Department of Medical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, MB R3E 0J9, Canada;
- National Microbiology Laboratory, Public Health Agency of Canada, Winnipeg, MB R3E 3R2, Canada
| | - Carla Osiowy
- Department of Medical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, MB R3E 0J9, Canada;
- National Microbiology Laboratory, Public Health Agency of Canada, Winnipeg, MB R3E 3R2, Canada
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Lee HW, Ahn SH, Chan HLY. Hepatitis B Core-Related Antigen: From Virology to Clinical Application. Semin Liver Dis 2021; 41:182-190. [PMID: 33957693 DOI: 10.1055/s-0041-1723088] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/01/2023]
Abstract
Hepatitis B core-related antigen (HBcrAg) is a composite measure of the serum levels of hepatitis B e antigen, hepatitis B core antigen, and a 22-kDa precore protein. It has been shown to reflect the level and transcriptional activity of covalently closed circular DNA in the liver. Longitudinal cohort studies have improved our understanding of the role of this novel viral marker in the natural history of chronic hepatitis B. HBcrAg kinetics reflect the response to peginterferon, and its role in defining guidelines for stopping peginterferon therapy has been evaluated. HBcrAg is a marker of intrahepatic viral activity, which may influence the risk of hepatocellular carcinoma. In this article, we review the virology and role of HBcrAg in defining phases of chronic hepatitis B. Furthermore, the function of HBcrAg in predicting treatment outcomes and its role in monitoring response to novel antiviral agents will be discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hye Won Lee
- Department of Internal Medicine, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.,Institute of Gastroenterology, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.,Yonsei Liver Center, Severance Hospital, Seoul, Korea
| | - Sang Hoon Ahn
- Department of Internal Medicine, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.,Institute of Gastroenterology, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.,Yonsei Liver Center, Severance Hospital, Seoul, Korea
| | - Henry Lik-Yuen Chan
- Department of Medicine and Therapeutics, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong.,Institute of Digestive Disease, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong
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Li J, Wu Z, Wang GQ, Zhao H. Hepatitis B core-related antigen reflects viral replication and protein production in chronic hepatitis B patients. Chin Med J (Engl) 2021; 134:1160-1167. [PMID: 33734135 PMCID: PMC8143780 DOI: 10.1097/cm9.0000000000001418] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/19/2020] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Hepatitis B core-related antigen (HBcrAg) is a promising disease-monitoring marker for chronic hepatitis B (CHB). We investigated correlations between HBcrAg with antiviral efficacy and virological and histological variables. METHODS One hundred and forty-five CHB patients from the mainland of China between August 2013 and September 2016 who underwent liver biopsy received entecavir therapy and had paired liver biopsy at 78 weeks. We analyzed correlations between HBcrAg and virological and histological variables in hepatitis B e antigen (HBeAg)-positive and HBeAg-negative patients. We also explored the predictors of HBeAg loss after 78 weeks of antiviral therapy. Pearson correlation analysis and logistic forward stepwise regression were the main statistic methods. RESULTS HBeAg-positive patients (n = 93) had higher baseline HBcrAg (median 7.4 vs. 5.3 log10 U/mL P < 0.001) and greater HBcrAg declines (median 1.6 vs. 0.9 log10 U/mL P = 0.007) than HBeAg-negative patients after 78 weeks of therapy. At baseline, HBcrAg correlated with hepatitis B virus (HBV) DNA in both HBeAg-positive (r = 0.641, P < 0.001) and -negative patients (r = 0.616, P < 0.001), with hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) in HBeAg-positive patients (r = 0.495, P < 0.001), but not with anti-hepatitis B virus core antibody (anti-HBc). Weak correlations existed between HBcrAg, histology activity index (HAI; r = 0.232, P = 0.025), and Ishak fibrosis score (r = -0.292, P = 0.005) in HBeAg-positive patients. At 78 weeks, significant correlations existed only between HBcrAg and anti-HBc in HBeAg-positive (r = -0.263, P = 0.014) and HBeAg-negative patients (r = -0.291, P = 0.045). Decreased HBcrAg significantly correlated with reduced HBV DNA (r = 0.366, P = 0.001; r = 0.626, P < 0.001) and HBsAg (r = 0.526, P = 0.001; r = 0.289, P = 0.044) in HBeAg-positive and -negative patients, respectively, and with reduced HAI in HBeAg-positive patients (r = 0.329, P = 0.001). Patients with HBeAg loss (n = 29) showed a larger reduction in HBcrAg than those without (median 2.3 vs. 1.3 log10 U/mL, P = 0.001). In multivariate analysis, decreased HBcrAg was an independent predictor of HBeAg loss (P = 0.005). CONCLUSIONS HBcrAg reflects viral replication and protein production. Decreased HBcrAg could predict HBeAg loss after antiviral therapy. TRIAL REGISTRATION Clinical Trials.gov: NCT01962155; https://www.clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT01962155?term=NCT01962155&draw=2&rank=1.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jun Li
- Department of Infectious Disease, Center for Liver Disease, Peking University First Hospital, Beijing 100034, China
| | - Zhao Wu
- Department of Infectious Disease, Center for Liver Disease, Peking University First Hospital, Beijing 100034, China
| | - Gui-Qiang Wang
- Department of Infectious Disease, Center for Liver Disease, Peking University First Hospital, Beijing 100034, China
- The Collaborative Innovation Center for Diagnosis and Treatment of Infectious Diseases, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310000, China
- Department of Infectious Disease, Peking University International Hospital, Beijing 100034, China
| | - Hong Zhao
- Department of Infectious Disease, Center for Liver Disease, Peking University First Hospital, Beijing 100034, China
- Department of Infectious Disease, Peking University International Hospital, Beijing 100034, China
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Caviglia GP, Armandi A, Rosso C, Ribaldone DG, Pellicano R, Fagoonee S. Hepatitis B Core-Related Antigen as Surrogate Biomarker of Intrahepatic Hepatitis B Virus Covalently-Closed-Circular DNA in Patients with Chronic Hepatitis B: A Meta-Analysis. Diagnostics (Basel) 2021; 11:diagnostics11020187. [PMID: 33525443 PMCID: PMC7910971 DOI: 10.3390/diagnostics11020187] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/10/2020] [Revised: 01/25/2021] [Accepted: 01/26/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Hepatitis B virus (HBV) covalently-closed-circular (ccc)DNA is the key molecule responsible for viral persistence within infected hepatocytes. The evaluation of HBV cccDNA is crucial for the management of patients with chronic HBV infection and for the personalization of treatment. However, the need for liver biopsy is the principal obstacle for the assessment of intrahepatic HBV cccDNA. In the last decade, several studies have investigated the performance of hepatitis B core-related antigen (HBcrAg) as a surrogate of HBV cccDNA amount in the liver. In this meta-analysis, we collected 14 studies (1271 patients) investigating the correlation between serum HBcrAg and intrahepatic HBV cccDNA. Serum HBcrAg showed a high correlation with intrahepatic HBV cccDNA (r = 0.641, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.510–0.743, p < 0.001). In a head-to-head comparison, we observed that the performance of HBcrAg was significantly superior to that of hepatitis B surface antigen (r = 0.665 vs. r = 0.475, respectively, p < 0.001). Subgroup analysis showed that the correlation between HBcrAg and intrahepatic HBV cccDNA was high, both in hepatitis B e antigen-positive and -negative patients (r = 0.678, 95% CI 0.403–0.840, p < 0.001, and r = 0.578, 95% CI 0.344–0.744, p < 0.001, respectively). In conclusion, the measurement of serum HBcrAg qualifies as a reliable non-invasive surrogate for the assessment of an intrahepatic HBV cccDNA reservoir.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gian Paolo Caviglia
- Department of Medical Sciences, University of Turin, 10124 Turin, Italy; (A.A.); (C.R.); (D.G.R.)
- Correspondence: (G.P.C.); (S.F.); Tel.: +39-011-633-3532 (G.P.C.)
| | - Angelo Armandi
- Department of Medical Sciences, University of Turin, 10124 Turin, Italy; (A.A.); (C.R.); (D.G.R.)
| | - Chiara Rosso
- Department of Medical Sciences, University of Turin, 10124 Turin, Italy; (A.A.); (C.R.); (D.G.R.)
| | | | - Rinaldo Pellicano
- Unit of Gastroenterology, Città della Salute e della Scienza di Torino-Molinette Hospital, 10126 Turin, Italy;
| | - Sharmila Fagoonee
- Institute of Biostructure and Bioimaging (CNR), Molecular Biotechnology Center, 10126 Turin, Italy
- Correspondence: (G.P.C.); (S.F.); Tel.: +39-011-633-3532 (G.P.C.)
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Wang X, Chi X, Wu R, Xu H, Gao X, Yu L, Liu L, Zhang M, Tan Y, Niu J, Jin Q. Serum HBV RNA correlated with intrahepatic cccDNA more strongly than other HBV markers during peg-interferon treatment. Virol J 2021; 18:4. [PMID: 33407619 PMCID: PMC7789711 DOI: 10.1186/s12985-020-01471-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/12/2020] [Accepted: 12/15/2020] [Indexed: 01/05/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Serum hepatitis B virus RNA (HBV RNA) has been reported to be a surrogate marker of intrahepatic cccDNA during nucleos(t)ide analogs therapy. However, in HBeAg-positive patients treated with peg-interferon (peg-IFN), whether HBV RNA is superior to other HBV markers in reflecting cccDNA profile is still unclear. METHODS Serum HBV RNA, HBcrAg, HBV DNA, and HBsAg were longitudinally assessed among 30 HBeAg-positive patients during 48-week peg-IFN treatment. Besides, intrahepatic cccDNA was detected at baseline and week 48 respectively. Then, the individual correlations between HBV RNA, HBcrAg, HBV DNA, HBsAg, and cccDNA were statistically analyzed. RESULTS HBV RNA levels decreased more rapidly in patients with HBeAg seroconversion than those without HBeAg seroconversion. Among all patients, cccDNA correlated better with HBV RNA than with HBcrAg, HBV DNA, and HBsAg at baseline. After 48 weeks peg-IFN treatment, cccDNA still correlated more strongly with HBV RNA than other HBV markers. Further analysis indicated that in patients with HBeAg seroconversion cccDNA strongly correlated with HBV RNA and HBcrAg, whereas not correlate with HBV DNA and HBsAg. While in patients without HBeAg seroconversion, cccDNA highly correlated with HBV RNA and HBV DNA, moderately correlated with HBcrAg, and not correlated with HBsAg. CONCLUSION Compared to HBcrAg, HBV DNA, and HBsAg, serum HBV RNA correlated more strongly with intrahepatic cccDNA levels before and after 48-week peg-IFN treatment. The level of serum HBV RNA may be a superior surrogate marker in reflecting the intrahepatic cccDNA profile in HBeAg-positive patients during peg-IFN treatment. Trial registration ClinicalTrials, NCT03546530. Registered 1 January 2015. https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/results?cond=&term=NCT03546530 .
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaomei Wang
- Department of Hepatology, The First Hospital of Jilin University, 71 Xinmin Street, Changchun, 130021, Jilin Province, China
| | - Xiumei Chi
- Department of Hepatology, The First Hospital of Jilin University, 71 Xinmin Street, Changchun, 130021, Jilin Province, China
| | - Ruihong Wu
- Department of Hepatology, The First Hospital of Jilin University, 71 Xinmin Street, Changchun, 130021, Jilin Province, China
| | - Hongqin Xu
- Department of Hepatology, The First Hospital of Jilin University, 71 Xinmin Street, Changchun, 130021, Jilin Province, China
| | - Xiuzhu Gao
- Department of Hepatology, The First Hospital of Jilin University, 71 Xinmin Street, Changchun, 130021, Jilin Province, China
| | - Lei Yu
- Department of Infectious Diseases, The Fourth Hospital of Harbin Medical University, Harbin, 150001, Heilongjiang Province, China
| | - Longgen Liu
- Department of Infectious Diseases, The Third Hospital of Changzhou, Changzhou, 213001, Jiangsu Province, China
| | - Mingxiang Zhang
- Department of Hepatology, Shenyang Sixth People's Hospital, Shenyang, 110006, Liaoning Province, China
| | - Youwen Tan
- Department of Hepatology, The Third People's Hospital of Zhenjiang, Zhenjiang, 212021, Jiangsu Province, China
| | - Junqi Niu
- Department of Hepatology, The First Hospital of Jilin University, 71 Xinmin Street, Changchun, 130021, Jilin Province, China
| | - Qinglong Jin
- Department of Hepatology, The First Hospital of Jilin University, 71 Xinmin Street, Changchun, 130021, Jilin Province, China.
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Yoshida K, Desbiolles A, Feldman SF, Ahn SH, Alidjinou EK, Atsukawa M, Bocket L, Brunetto MR, Buti M, Carey I, Caviglia GP, Chen EQ, Cornberg M, Enomoto M, Honda M, Zu Siederdissen CH, Ishigami M, Janssen HLA, Maasoumy B, Matsui T, Matsumoto A, Nishiguchi S, Riveiro-Barciela M, Takaki A, Tangkijvanich P, Toyoda H, van Campenhout MJH, Wang B, Wei L, Yang HI, Yano Y, Yatsuhashi H, Yuen MF, Tanaka E, Lemoine M, Tanaka Y, Shimakawa Y. Hepatitis B Core-Related Antigen to Indicate High Viral Load: Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of 10,397 Individual Participants. Clin Gastroenterol Hepatol 2021; 19:46-60.e8. [PMID: 32360825 DOI: 10.1016/j.cgh.2020.04.045] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/26/2020] [Accepted: 04/10/2020] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND & AIMS To eliminate hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection, scale-up of testing and treatment in resource-limited countries is crucial. However, access to nucleic acid testing to quantify HBV DNA, an essential test to examine treatment eligibility, remains severely limited. We assessed the performance of a novel immunoassay, HBV core-related antigen (HBcrAg), as a low-cost (less than US $15/assay) alternative to nucleic acid testing to indicate clinically important high viremia in chronic HBV patients infected with different genotypes. METHODS We searched Medline, Embase, Scopus, and Web of Science databases through June 27, 2018. Three reviewers independently selected studies measuring HBV DNA and HBcrAg in the same blood samples. We contacted authors to provide individual participant data (IPD). We randomly allocated each IPD to a derivation or validation cohort. We applied optimal HBcrAg cut-off values derived from the derivation set to the validation set to estimate sensitivity/specificity. RESULTS Of 74 eligible studies, IPD were obtained successfully for 60 studies (81%). Meta-analysis included 5591 IPD without antiviral therapy and 4806 treated with antivirals. In untreated patients, the pooled area under the receiver operating characteristic curve and optimal cut-off values were as follows: 0.88 (95% CI, 0.83-0.94) and 3.6 log U/mL to diagnose HBV DNA level of 2000 IU/mL or greater; and 0.96 (95% CI, 0.94-0.98) and 5.3 log U/mL for 200,000 IU/mL or greater, respectively. In the validation set, the sensitivity and specificity were 85.2% and 84.7% to diagnose HBV DNA level of 2000 IU/mL or greater, and 91.8% and 90.5% for 200,000 IU/mL or greater, respectively. The performance did not vary by HBV genotypes. In patients treated with anti-HBV therapy the correlation between HBcrAg and HBV DNA was poor. CONCLUSIONS HBcrAg might be a useful serologic marker to indicate clinically important high viremia in treatment-naïve, HBV-infected patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kyoko Yoshida
- Department of Surgery and Cancer, Liver Unit, Imperial College London, Paddington, London, United Kingdom
| | - Alice Desbiolles
- Unité d'Épidémiologie des Maladies Émergentes, Institut Pasteur, Paris, France
| | - Sarah F Feldman
- Unité d'Épidémiologie des Maladies Émergentes, Institut Pasteur, Paris, France
| | - Sang Hoon Ahn
- Department of Internal Medicine, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea
| | - Enagnon K Alidjinou
- Laboratoire de Virologie, Centre de Biologie Pathologie, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Lille, Lille, France
| | - Masanori Atsukawa
- Division of Gastroenterology, Department of Internal Medicine, Nippon Medical School Chiba Hokusoh Hospital, Chiba, Japan
| | - Laurence Bocket
- Laboratoire de Virologie, Centre de Biologie Pathologie, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Lille, Lille, France
| | - Maurizia R Brunetto
- Hepatology Unit, Laboratory of Molecular Genetics and Pathology of Hepatitis Viruses, University Hospital of Pisa, Pisa PI, Italy
| | - Maria Buti
- Liver Unit, Department of Internal Medicine, Hospital Universitari Vall d'Hebron, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Ivana Carey
- Institute of Liver Studies, King's College Hospital, London, United Kingdom
| | | | - En-Qiang Chen
- Center of Infectious Diseases, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Markus Cornberg
- Department of Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Endocrinology, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany
| | - Masaru Enomoto
- Department of Hepatology, Graduate School of Medicine, Osaka City University Medical School, Osaka, Japan
| | - Masao Honda
- Department of Gastroenterology, Department of Advanced Medical Technology, Kanazawa University Graduate School of Health Medicine, Ishikawa, Japan
| | | | - Masatoshi Ishigami
- Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, Nagoya, Japan
| | - Harry L A Janssen
- Toronto Centre for Liver Disease, Toronto General Hospital, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Benjamin Maasoumy
- Department of Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Endocrinology, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany
| | - Takeshi Matsui
- Center for Gastroenterology, Teine-Keijinkai Hospital, Hokkaido, Japan
| | - Akihiro Matsumoto
- Department of Internal Medicine, Shinshu University School of Medicine, Matsumoto, Japan
| | - Shuhei Nishiguchi
- Division of Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Disease, Department of Internal Medicine, Hyogo College of Medicine, Hyogo, Japan
| | - Mar Riveiro-Barciela
- Liver Unit, Department of Internal Medicine, Hospital Universitari Vall d'Hebron, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Akinobu Takaki
- Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Okayama University Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Okayama, Japan
| | - Pisit Tangkijvanich
- Center of Excellence in Hepatitis and Liver Cancer, Faculty of Medicine, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Hidenori Toyoda
- Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Ogaki Municipal Hospital, Gifu, Japan
| | - Margo J H van Campenhout
- Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Erasmus MC University Medical Center, GD Rotterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Bo Wang
- Institute of Liver Studies, King's College Hospital, London, United Kingdom
| | - Lai Wei
- Peking University Hepatology Institute, Beijing Key Laboratory of Hepatitis C and Immunotherapy for Liver Diseases, Peking University People's Hospital, Beijing, China
| | - Hwai-I Yang
- Genomics Research Center, Academia Sinica, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Yoshihiko Yano
- Center for Infectious Diseases, Department of Gastroenterology, Kobe University Graduate School of Medicine, Kobe, Japan
| | - Hiroshi Yatsuhashi
- Clinical Research Center, National Hospital Organization, Nagasaki Medical Center, Nagasaki, Japan
| | - Man-Fung Yuen
- Department of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Queen Mary Hospital, Hong Kong, China
| | - Eiji Tanaka
- Department for the Promotion of Regional Medicine, Shinshu University School of Medicine, Matsumoto, Japan
| | - Maud Lemoine
- Department of Surgery and Cancer, Liver Unit, Imperial College London, Paddington, London, United Kingdom
| | - Yasuhito Tanaka
- Department of Virology and Liver Unit, Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, Nagoya, Japan
| | - Yusuke Shimakawa
- Unité d'Épidémiologie des Maladies Émergentes, Institut Pasteur, Paris, France.
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Kaewdech A, Tangkijvanich P, Sripongpun P, Witeerungrot T, Jandee S, Tanaka Y, Piratvisuth T. Hepatitis B surface antigen, core-related antigen and HBV RNA: Predicting clinical relapse after NA therapy discontinuation. Liver Int 2020; 40:2961-2971. [PMID: 32668074 DOI: 10.1111/liv.14606] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/23/2020] [Revised: 06/10/2020] [Accepted: 07/09/2020] [Indexed: 02/05/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND & AIMS The safe discontinuation of nucleos(t)ide analogue therapy remains challenging in chronic hepatitis B. We investigated the potential role of quantitative hepatitis B surface antigen, hepatitis B core-related antigen and hepatitis B virus RNA at the end of treatment in predicting off-therapy relapse. METHODS Patients who fulfilled the stopping criteria of the Asian Pacific Association for the Study of the Liver guideline were enrolled. Virological relapse was defined as hepatitis B virus DNA level greater than 2000 IU/mL, and clinical relapse was defined as virological relapse plus alanine aminotransferase level of more than twice the upper limit of normal. RESULTS Ninety-two patients participated. The combination of end-of-treatment hepatitis B core-related antigen and hepatitis B virus RNA levels was most predictive of clinical relapse. Multivariate analysis revealed that end-of-treatment hepatitis B core-related antigen and hepatitis B virus RNA were independently associated with clinical relapse. During follow-up, no patients with undetectable hepatitis B core-related antigen (<3.0 log10 U/mL) and hepatitis B virusRNA (<2.0 log10 copies/mL) at end of treatment developed clinical relapse, in comparison with 22.9% and 62.5% patients with detectable levels of one or both biomarkers respectively. End-of-treatment quantitative hepatitis B surface antigen was linked to a likelihood of hepatitis B surface antigen clearance. CONCLUSIONS The combined hepatitis B core-related antigen and hepatitis B virus RNA assays at end of treatment were highly predictive of subsequent clinical relapse. These novel biomarkers could potentially be used to identify patients who could safely discontinue nucleos(t)ide analogue therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Apichat Kaewdech
- Gastroenterology and Hepatology Unit, Division of Internal Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Prince of Songkla University, Songkhla, Thailand
| | - Pisit Tangkijvanich
- Center of Excellence in Hepatitis and Liver Cancer, Faculty of Medicine, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Pimsiri Sripongpun
- Gastroenterology and Hepatology Unit, Division of Internal Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Prince of Songkla University, Songkhla, Thailand
| | - Teepawit Witeerungrot
- NKC Institute of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Songklanagarind Hospital, Songkhla, Thailand
| | - Sawangpong Jandee
- Gastroenterology and Hepatology Unit, Division of Internal Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Prince of Songkla University, Songkhla, Thailand
| | - Yasuhito Tanaka
- Virology and Liver Unit, Nagoya City University Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Nagoya, Japan
| | - Teerha Piratvisuth
- Gastroenterology and Hepatology Unit, Division of Internal Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Prince of Songkla University, Songkhla, Thailand
- NKC Institute of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Songklanagarind Hospital, Songkhla, Thailand
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Li FC, Li YK, Fan YC. Biomarkers for hepatitis B virus replication: an overview and a look to the future. Expert Rev Gastroenterol Hepatol 2020; 14:1131-1139. [PMID: 32887529 DOI: 10.1080/17474124.2020.1815530] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection is a major public health issue but there are no powerful drugs to eradicate the virus. HBV markers including HBsAg, HBcrAg, HBV RNA, HBcAb, and HBV DNA are becoming promising biomarkers to reflect the natural phases of chronic HBV infection and predict the outcome of anti-HBV treatment. AREAS COVERED The authors summarized the biomarkers of HBV replication and presented the current advances of these biomarkers on predicting the outcome of anti-HBV treatment and identifying the progression of chronic HBV infection. EXPERT OPINION HBsAg, HBcrAg, HBV RNA, HBcAb, and HBV DNA are noninvasive and feasible biomarkers for monitoring the process of anti-HBV therapy and predicting the progress of HBV infection. However, there are still no strong biomarkers with high sensitivity and specificity for clinical application. Combination of two or more HBV biomarkers, new technique for measuring HBV cccDNA, and searching novel HBV biomarkers are essential for anti-HBV treatment in the future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Feng-Cai Li
- Department of Hepatology, Qilu Hospital, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University , Jinan, China
| | - Yue-Kai Li
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, Qilu Hospital, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University , Jinan, China
| | - Yu-Chen Fan
- Department of Hepatology, Qilu Hospital, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University , Jinan, China.,Department of Immunology, School of Basic Medical Science, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University , Jinan, China
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Correlation of serum hepatitis B core-related antigen with hepatitis B virus total intrahepatic DNA and covalently closed circular-DNA viral load in HIV-hepatitis B coinfection. AIDS 2020; 34:1943-1949. [PMID: 32773480 DOI: 10.1097/qad.0000000000002659] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE To assess whether quantified hepatitis B core-related antigen (qHBcrAg) is a surrogate marker of intrahepatic replication in HIV and hepatitis B virus (HBV) coinfection. DESIGN Cross-sectional study of 31 HIV-HBV-infected patients (total liver biopsies, n = 38) from a well defined cohort. METHODS Spearman's rank correlation coefficients were calculated between qHBcrAg and intrahepatic markers of HBV replication [total intrahepatic-DNA, covalently closed circular (ccc) DNA, cccDNA : total intrahepatic-DNA ratio]. RESULTS At biopsy, 22 (71.0%) patients were hepatitis B 'e' antigen (HBeAg)-positive, 22 (71.0%) had detectable plasma HBV-DNA, and 17 (54.8%) were treated with tenofovir. Median levels (interquartile range) of intrahepatic markers were as follows: HBV cccDNA (n = 34), 0.26 copies/cell (0.4-2.89); total intrahepatic-DNA (n = 38), 2.38 copies/cell (0.58-207.9), and cccDNA : total intrahepatic-DNA ratio (n = 34), 0.05 (interquartile range = 0.01-0.12). There was a significantly strong correlation between qHBcrAg and cccDNA in all patients (Rho = 0.65, P < 0.001), while a moderate correlation was observed between qHBcrAg and total intrahepatic-DNA (Rho = 0.57, P < 0.001) or cccDNA : total intrahepatic-DNA ratio (Rho = -0.45, P = 0.01). Similar findings were observed for HBeAg-positive patients and those with detectable HBV-DNA, with the exception of qHBcrAg and cccDNA or cccDNA : total intrahepatic-DNA ratio. In contrast, no significant correlation between qHBcrAg and any intrahepatic marker was observed in HBeAg-negative patients or those with undetectable HBV-DNA. No significant difference was observed in median qHBcrAg levels across liver fibrosis stages (P = 0.5). CONCLUSION qHBcrAg is a potential surrogate marker of cccDNA in HIV-HBV coinfected patients, yet might be less useful with undetectable serum HBV-DNA or HBeAg-negative status. Whether qHBcrAg provides further clinical utility compared with other serological markers remains debatable.
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Armandi A, Rosso C, Ribaldone DG, Caviglia GP. Moving towards core antigen for the management of patients with overt and occult HBV infection. Panminerva Med 2020; 63:499-507. [PMID: 33073556 DOI: 10.23736/s0031-0808.20.04163-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
Chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection encompasses a wide virologic and clinical spectrum with heterogeneous outcomes. The natural history of chronic HBV infection ranges from an inactive carrier state (hepatitis B e antigen-negative chronic infection) to progressive chronic hepatitis that may evolve in end-stage liver disease and hepatocellular carcinoma. The issue becomes even more complicated when we consider the unique biology of the virus; the HBV covalently-closed-circular DNA, that acts as virus transcription template, is the key factor responsible of the persistence of the infection even after hepatitis B surface antigen loss. In the last decade, novel serological and immunological biomarkers associated to the core protein of HBV have been approached in different clinical conditions. Remarkable results have been obtained both in the setting of overt and occult HBV infection. Here, we reviewed the meaning and the potential clinical applications of the measurement of core antigen and antibodies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Angelo Armandi
- Department of Medical Sciences, University of Turin, Turin, Italy
| | - Chiara Rosso
- Department of Medical Sciences, University of Turin, Turin, Italy
| | | | - Gian P Caviglia
- Department of Medical Sciences, University of Turin, Turin, Italy -
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Peculiarities in the designations of hepatitis B virus genes, their products, and their antigenic specificities: a potential source of misunderstandings. Virus Genes 2020; 56:109-119. [PMID: 32026198 PMCID: PMC7093336 DOI: 10.1007/s11262-020-01733-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/19/2019] [Accepted: 01/14/2020] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
The nomenclature of the hepatitis B virus (HBV) genes and their products has developed stepwise, occasionally in an erratic way, creating many misunderstandings, especially among those who do not know the structure of HBV and its genome in detail. One of the most frequent misunderstandings, even presented in leading journals, is the designation of HBV “e”-antigen as envelope or early antigen. Another problem area are the so-called “pre” regions in the HBV genome present upstream of both the core and the surface genes of HBV, inadvertently suggesting that they may be a part of corresponding precursor proteins. Misnomers and misclassifications are frequent in defining the subgenotypes and serological subtypes of HBV. Even the well-established terminology for HBV surface (HBs) or HBV core (HBc) antigen deviates from the conventional virological nomenclature for viral envelopes or capsid proteins/antigens, respectively. Another matter of undesirable variability between publications is the numbering of the nucleotides and the graphical representation of genomic maps. This editorial briefly explains how the nomenclature evolved, what it really means, and suggests how it could be adapted to today’s knowledge.
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Caviglia GP, Olivero A, Ciancio A, Tandoi F, Troshina G, Rosso C, Abate ML, Younes R, Ribaldone DG, Smedile A, Rizzetto M, Romagnoli R, Saracco GM, Bugianesi E. Analytical and clinical evaluation of a novel assay for anti-HBc IgG measurement in serum of subjects with overt and occult HBV infection. Diagn Microbiol Infect Dis 2020; 96:114985. [PMID: 32008810 DOI: 10.1016/j.diagmicrobio.2020.114985] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/25/2019] [Revised: 01/02/2020] [Accepted: 01/03/2020] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES We assessed the analytical and clinical performance of the Lumipulse® G HBcAb-N (Fujirebio, Japan) assay for IgG antibodies to hepatitis B core antigen (anti-HBc IgG) measurement in serum of subjects with overt and occult HBV infection (OBI). MATERIALS/METHODS Serum anti-HBc IgG was assessed in 181 anti-HBc-positive subjects: 119 chronic hepatitis B (CHB) patients in different infection phases and 62 subjects (35 CHB and 27 OBI) with available liver specimens for HBV covalently-close-circular (ccc) DNA analysis. RESULTS The anti-HBc IgG assay showed a linear dynamic range (R2 = 0.9967); lower limit of detection and quantitation were 0.5 IU/mL and 0.8 IU/mL. Reproducibility was 4.9% and accuracy 98.7%. Anti-HBc IgG levels varied according to HBV infection phase, linearly declined during antiviral treatment and resulted correlated to intrahepatic HBV cccDNA (r = 0.752, P < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS The quantitative anti-HBc IgG assay exhibited appropriate analytical performance and may represent a diagnostic complement in CHB patients and OBI subjects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gian Paolo Caviglia
- Department of Medical Sciences, University of Turin, Gastroenterology Division of Città della Salute e della Scienza of Turin, University Hospital, Turin, Italy.
| | - Antonella Olivero
- Department of Medical Sciences, University of Turin, Gastroenterology Division of Città della Salute e della Scienza of Turin, University Hospital, Turin, Italy
| | - Alessia Ciancio
- Department of Medical Sciences, University of Turin, Gastroenterology Division of Città della Salute e della Scienza of Turin, University Hospital, Turin, Italy
| | - Francesco Tandoi
- General Surgery 2U, Liver Transplant Center - A.O.U. Città della Salute e della Scienza di Torino, Molinette Hospital, Department of Surgical Sciences, University of Turin, Turin, Italy
| | - Giulia Troshina
- Department of Medical Sciences, University of Turin, Gastroenterology Division of Città della Salute e della Scienza of Turin, University Hospital, Turin, Italy
| | - Chiara Rosso
- Department of Medical Sciences, University of Turin, Gastroenterology Division of Città della Salute e della Scienza of Turin, University Hospital, Turin, Italy
| | - Maria L Abate
- Department of Medical Sciences, University of Turin, Gastroenterology Division of Città della Salute e della Scienza of Turin, University Hospital, Turin, Italy
| | - Ramy Younes
- Department of Medical Sciences, University of Turin, Gastroenterology Division of Città della Salute e della Scienza of Turin, University Hospital, Turin, Italy
| | - Davide G Ribaldone
- Department of Medical Sciences, University of Turin, Gastroenterology Division of Città della Salute e della Scienza of Turin, University Hospital, Turin, Italy
| | - Antonina Smedile
- Department of Medical Sciences, University of Turin, Gastroenterology Division of Città della Salute e della Scienza of Turin, University Hospital, Turin, Italy
| | - Mario Rizzetto
- Department of Medical Sciences, University of Turin, Gastroenterology Division of Città della Salute e della Scienza of Turin, University Hospital, Turin, Italy
| | - Renato Romagnoli
- General Surgery 2U, Liver Transplant Center - A.O.U. Città della Salute e della Scienza di Torino, Molinette Hospital, Department of Surgical Sciences, University of Turin, Turin, Italy
| | - Giorgio M Saracco
- Department of Medical Sciences, University of Turin, Gastroenterology Division of Città della Salute e della Scienza of Turin, University Hospital, Turin, Italy
| | - Elisabetta Bugianesi
- Department of Medical Sciences, University of Turin, Gastroenterology Division of Città della Salute e della Scienza of Turin, University Hospital, Turin, Italy
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Ma Z, Zhang E, Gao S, Xiong Y, Lu M. Toward a Functional Cure for Hepatitis B: The Rationale and Challenges for Therapeutic Targeting of the B Cell Immune Response. Front Immunol 2019; 10:2308. [PMID: 31608073 PMCID: PMC6769125 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2019.02308] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/19/2019] [Accepted: 09/12/2019] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The central role of the cellular immune response in the control and clearance of the hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection has been well-established. The contribution of humoral immunity, including B cell and antibody responses against HBV, has been investigated for a long time but has attracted increasing attention again in recent years. The anti-HBs antibody was first recognized as a marker of protective immunity after the acute resolution of the HBV infection (or vaccination) and is now defined as a biomarker for the functional cure of chronic hepatitis B (CHB). In this way, therapies targeting HBV-specific B cells and the induction of an anti-HBs antibody response are essential elements of a rational strategy to terminate chronic HBV infection. However, a high load of HBsAg in the blood, which has been proposed to induce antigen-specific immune tolerance, represents a major obstacle to curing CHB. Long-term antiviral treatment by nucleoside analogs, by targeting viral translation by siRNA, by inhibiting HBsAg release via nucleic acid polymers, or by neutralizing HBsAg via specific antibodies could potentially reduce the HBsAg load in CHB patients. A combined strategy including a reduction of the HBsAg load via the above treatments and the therapeutic targeting of B cells by vaccination may induce the appearance of anti-HBs antibodies and lead to a functional cure of CHB.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhiyong Ma
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, China
| | - Ejuan Zhang
- Wuhan Institute of Virology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, China
| | - Shicheng Gao
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, China
| | - Yong Xiong
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, China
| | - Mengji Lu
- Institute of Virology, University Hospital Essen, University of Duisburg-Essen, Essen, Germany
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Inoue T, Tanaka Y. The Role of Hepatitis B Core-Related Antigen. Genes (Basel) 2019; 10:genes10050357. [PMID: 31075974 PMCID: PMC6562807 DOI: 10.3390/genes10050357] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/02/2019] [Revised: 05/02/2019] [Accepted: 05/06/2019] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Hepatitis B virus (HBV) cannot be completely eliminated from infected hepatocytes due to the existence of intrahepatic covalently closed circular DNA (cccDNA). Serological biomarkers reflect intrahepatic viral replicative activity as non-invasive alternatives to liver biopsy. Hepatitis B core-related antigen (HBcrAg) is a novel biomarker that has an important role in chronic hepatitis B (CHB), because it correlates with serum HBV DNA and intrahepatic cccDNA. In clinical cases with undetectable serum HBV DNA or loss of HBsAg, HBcrAg still can be detected and the decrease in HBcrAg levels is significantly associated with promising outcomes for CHB patients. HBcrAg can predict spontaneous or treatment-induced hepatitis B envelope antigen (HBeAg) seroconversion, persistent responses before and after cessation of nucleos(t)ide analogues, potential HBV reactivation, HBV reinfection after liver transplantation, and risk of hepatocellular carcinoma progression or recurrence. In this review, the clinical applications of HBcrAg in CHB patients based on its virological features are described. Furthermore, new potential therapeutic anti-HBV agents that affect intrahepatic cccDNA are under development, and the monitoring of HBcrAg might be useful to judge therapeutic effects. In conclusion, HBcrAg might be a suitable surrogate marker beyond other HBV markers to predict the disease progression and treatment responses of CHB patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Takako Inoue
- Department of Clinical Laboratory Medicine, Nagoya City University Hospital, Nagoya 467-8602, Japan.
| | - Yasuhito Tanaka
- Department of Clinical Laboratory Medicine, Nagoya City University Hospital, Nagoya 467-8602, Japan.
- Department of Virology and Liver Unit, Nagoya City University Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Nagoya 467-8601, Japan.
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