[Natural history of HBeAg negative chronic hepatitis B virus infection: a cohort study].
OBJECTIVE
The long-term virologic and biochemical changes in patients with HBeAg negative HBV infection, especially in Asia, remain unclear. To address this issue, we conducted a 3 year- retrospective, cohort study.


METHODS
A total of 157 patients with HBeAg negative HBV infection who were monitored without treatment were reviewed between January 1999 and March 2004. Those patients were followed up every 3 months with liver function tests and serologic tests. All patients were stratified into 3 groups; inactive carrier (IC), viremic carrier (VC) and chronic hepatitis (CH). Serum HBV DNA was measured by a hybridization assay (sensitivity: 1.4 x 10(5)) genomes/mL, Digene Diagnostics, Silver Spring, USA).


RESULTS
The median age of enrolled patients was 42.7 years (M:F=2.3:1). By single time-point observations, the 3 year-cohort prevalence of HBeAg negative CH varied from 12.7 to 35.8% (median 20.7%) HBeAg negative CH was accumulated over time (P=0.002) and transition rates among three groups after 3 years of follow-up are as follows: IC to CH, 6.0%; IC to VC, 4.1%; VC to CH, 23.2%. VC seems to be a disease state in the middle of transition from IC to CH.


CONCLUSIONS
We demonstrated the dynamic changing patterns of HBeAg negative CH with time, of which the change from IC or VC to CH was dominant.
Moon
Chang Mo
CM
Department of Internal Medicine, Institute of Gastroenterology, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.
Kim
Do Young
DY
Song
Ki Jun
KJ
Kim
Ja Kyung
JK
Lee
Hyun Woong
HW
Lee
Jung Min
JM
Yoon
Ki Tae
KT
Paik
Yong Han
YH
Kim
Dong Ki
DK
Han
Kwang-Hyub
KH
Chon
Chae Yoon
CY
Moon
Young Myoung
YM
Ahn
Sang Hoon
SH
D000328:Adult; D002353:Carrier State / Q000276:immunology; D005260:Female; D006513:Hepatitis B e Antigens / Q000097:blood*; D019694:Hepatitis B, Chronic / Q000276:immunology* / Q000821:virology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged
D006513:Hepatitis B e Antigens