title: [A comparison of clinical and virological characteristics of 1686 cases of HBeAg-negative and HBeAg-positive chronic hepatitis B].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the clinical characteristics of HBeAg-negative and HBeAg-positive chronic hepatitis B (CHB).
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 1686 hospitalized CHB cases were analyzed retrospectively. The serum ALT values, HBV DNA levels and hepatic inflammation and fibrosis were analyzed by their serum HBeAg status.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Among the 1686 cases, 628 (37.3%) were HBeAg-negative and 1058 (62.7%) were HBeAg-positive. Compared with HBeAg-positive group, HBeAg-negative group had a lower serum ALT and HBV DNA levels. However, hepatic necroinflammation grading and fibrosis staging in HBeAg-negative group were more advanced than that of HBeAg-positive group. Irrespective to serum HBeAg status, patients with serum HBV DNA less than 10(5)copies/ml, had a lower hepatic necroinflammation activity.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  HBeAg-positive CHB is still the predominant form of CHB in Chinese patients. Compared with patients with low HBV replication, patients with active HBV replication had a higher hepatic necroinflammation activity. The liver histological grading and staging in HBeAg-negative CHB patients were more advanced than that in HBeAg-positive patients.
authors.affiliation: Department of Infectious Diseases, Nanfang Hospitol, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou 510515, China.
authors.forename: Chuang-guo
authors.initials: CG
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.forename: Yue-cheng
authors.initials: YC
authors.lastname: Yu
authors.forename: Jin-jun
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Jian
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Sun
authors.forename: Ya-bing
authors.initials: YB
authors.lastname: Guo
authors.forename: Kang-xian
authors.initials: KX
authors.lastname: Luo
authors.forename: You-fu
authors.initials: YF
authors.lastname: Zhu
authors.forename: Jin-lin
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Hou
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000410:Alanine Transaminase / Q000097:blood; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004279:DNA, Viral / Q000097:blood; D005260:Female; D006513:Hepatitis B e Antigens / Q000097:blood*; D006515:Hepatitis B virus / Q000235:genetics; D019694:Hepatitis B, Chronic / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology / Q000821:virology*; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012189:Retrospective Studies
chemical_list: D004279:DNA, Viral; D006513:Hepatitis B e Antigens; D000410:Alanine Transaminase