Sustained disease remission after spontaneous HBeAg seroconversion is associated with reduction in fibrosis progression in chronic hepatitis B Chinese patients.
Recently, controversies have arisen about whether hepatitis B e antigen (HBeAg) seroconversion can result in regression of fibrosis, thus improving the clinical outcome of Chinese patients with chronic hepatitis B. In this study, we determined if spontaneous HBeAg seroconversion is associated with regression of fibrosis in Chinese chronic hepatitis B patients. We evaluated the histology of liver samples from 128 HBeAg-positive treatment-naive Chinese patients who had undergone 2 liver biopsies over the years. Regression of fibrosis was defined as a decrease in fibrosis stage of at least 1 point. Sustained disease remission was defined as HBeAg seroconversion and hepatitis B virus (HBV) DNA < 10(4) copies/ml at follow-up liver biopsy. The mean duration (+/- standard error of the mean) between the initial and follow-up liver biopsies was 43.9 +/- 3.4 months. Regression of fibrosis was higher in patients with sustained disease remission (5 of 13 [38.5%] versus 22 of 115 [19.1%], P < 0.00005), patients who were younger (20-29 years old) at initial liver biopsy (17 of 54 [31.5%] versus 10 of 74 [13.5%], P = 0.0004), and patients with genotype B (17 of 43 [39.5%] versus 10 of 85 [11.8%], P = 0.004). On multivariate analysis, sustained disease remission (relative risk [RR] 3.00, 95% confidence interval [95% CI] 1.29-7.01, P = 0.01) and being 20-29 years old at initial liver biopsy (RR 2.94, 95% CI 1.01-8.62, P = 0.04) were independently associated with regression of fibrosis. The rate of fibrosis progression was lower in patients with sustained disease remission than in those who remained HBeAg positive (median 0 fibrosis units/year, range -2.00 to -0.70 fibrosis units/year, versus median 0.51 fibrosis units/year, range 0 to +2.03 fibrosis units/year, P = 0.02).


CONCLUSIONS
Spontaneous sustained remission of disease is associated not only with little progression of fibrosis but also with regression of fibrosis.
Department of Medicine,University of Hong Kong, Queen Mary Hospital, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (SAR), China. ckhui23@gmail.com
Chee-Kin
CK
Hui
Nancy
N
Leung
Tony W H
TW
Shek
Hung
H
Yao
Wai-Ki
WK
Lee
Jak-Yiu
JY
Lai
Sik-To
ST
Lai
Wai-Man
WM
Wong
Lawrence S W
LS
Lai
Ronnie T P
RT
Poon
Chung-Mau
CM
Lo
Sheung-Tat
ST
Fan
George K K
GK
Lau
D000328:Adult; D044466:Asian People; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D004279:DNA, Viral / Q000097:blood; D018450:Disease Progression; D005260:Female; D006510:Hepatitis B Antibodies / Q000097:blood*; D006513:Hepatitis B e Antigens / Q000276:immunology*; D019694:Hepatitis B, Chronic / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012075:Remission, Spontaneous; D014779:Virus Replication
D015415:Biomarkers; D004279:DNA, Viral; D006510:Hepatitis B Antibodies; D006513:Hepatitis B e Antigens