Changes in serum levels of hepatitis B virus markers after interferon treatment.
The effect of interferon (IFN) treatment on serum levels of pre-S antigens [pre-S(1) antigen, pre-S(2) antigen, polymerized human serum albumin receptor (pAR)] which are coded by the pre-S region of hepatitis B virus DNA (HBV-DNA), and HBV-markers was analyzed in 23 patients with chronic hepatitis B. One year after IFN treatment, 4 patients (Group C) became HBeAg negative. Six patients (Group B) transiently became HBeAg-negative, but reverted to HBeAg positive. Thirteen patients (Group A) remained HBeAg positive. All of the patients remained HBsAg-positive. Initiation of IFN treatment was rapidly followed by reduction or loss of DNA-P in the serum whether the patients became HBeAg negative or remained positive, and whether serum transaminase (S-GPT) levels became normal or not after IFN treatment. Group C patients, in whom pre-S antigens decreased rapidly during IFN treatment and disappeared before S-GPT levels normalized, became HBeAg negative one year after IFN treatment. Anti-pAR was detected in three out of these 4 patients. In contrast, Group A and Group B patients, in whom pre-S antigens decreased slowly during IFN treatment and did not disappear in spite of those patients being transiently negative for HBeAg and DNA-P, remained HBeAg positive with elevated S-GPT levels one year after IFN treatment. Anti-pAR was almost undetectable. These results suggest that testing for pre-S antigens is more useful for determining the prognosis of patients with chronic hepatitis B treated with IFN than testing for HBsAg, HBeAg and DNA-P.
Ikeda
H
H
First Department of Internal Medicine, Okayama University Medical School, Japan.
Matsuura
K
K
Tsuji
T
T
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000032:analysis; D002908:Chronic Disease; D005260:Female; D006509:Hepatitis B / Q000276:immunology* / Q000628:therapy; D006510:Hepatitis B Antibodies / Q000032:analysis*; D006511:Hepatitis B Antigens / Q000032:analysis*; D006514:Hepatitis B Surface Antigens / Q000032:analysis; D006513:Hepatitis B e Antigens / Q000032:analysis; D006801:Humans; D007372:Interferons / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011498:Protein Precursors / Q000032:analysis; D017457:Receptors, Albumin; D011956:Receptors, Cell Surface / Q000032:analysis*; D012709:Serum Albumin / Q000032:analysis*
D015415:Biomarkers; D006510:Hepatitis B Antibodies; D006511:Hepatitis B Antigens; D006514:Hepatitis B Surface Antigens; D006513:Hepatitis B e Antigens; D011498:Protein Precursors; D017457:Receptors, Albumin; D011956:Receptors, Cell Surface; D012709:Serum Albumin; C050806:presurface protein 1, hepatitis B surface antigen; C050807:presurface protein 2, hepatitis B surface antigen; D007372:Interferons