[Factors associated with HBeAg seroconversion in chronic hepatitis B patients treated with interferon alfa-2a].
OBJECTIVE
The aim of this paper was to investigate the factors associated with viral response and HBeAg seroconversion and the relationship between them at different stages of interferon treatment in HBeAg-positive chronic hepatitis B patients.


METHODS
PEG-IFN alfa-2a was injected subcutaneously in doses of 180 microg once a week for 48 weeks to HBeAg-positive chronic hepatitis B patients, and the patients were followed for another 24 weeks after the treatment. The serum HBV DNA load was measured by real-time quantitative PCR assay. Microparticle enzyme immunoassay analysis (MEIA) was then carried out by an automatic enzyme immunoassay analysis instrument to measure HBeAg and anti-HBe. Virological response and HBeAg seroconversion rates, and the factors associated with them were analyzed.


RESULTS
The differences in ALT baselines between viral responding and non-responding groups were significant at treatment time and at the end of the follow-up period. These differences were also significant in patients with HBeAg seroconversion at 12 weeks and at the end of the follow-up period compared with the non-conversion group. No significant difference of HBV DNA baseline was observed between the HBeAg seroconversion and non-conversion group. At 12, 24 and 48 weeks, in patients with viral response during the treatment, their HBeAg seroconversion rates were 43.8%, 21.4% and 18.9% respectively; their respective HBeAg seroconversion rates remaining at 72 weeks were 42.9%, 33.3% and 27.6%. HBeAg seroconversion was related to HBV DNA negativity at 48 weeks treatment in the multivariate analysis (OR=2.15, 95.0% CI=1.744-2.664, P less than 0.01).


CONCLUSIONS
Viral response and early and sustained HBeAg seroconversion were associated with pretreatment ALT levels. HBeAg seroconversion was related to viral response during IFN treatment, but not to the baseline HBV DNA load.
Beijing Ditan Hospital, Beijing 100011, China.
Ming-hui
MH
Li
Yao
Y
Xie
Yun-zhong
YZ
Wu
Dao-zhen
DZ
Xu
Zhi-meng
ZM
Lu
Jin-lin
JL
Hou
Ji-dong
JD
Jia
Yu-ming
YM
Wang
Shu-lin
SL
Zhang
Hong
H
Ren
Xin-Yue
XY
Chen
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000998:Antiviral Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D005260:Female; D006513:Hepatitis B e Antigens / Q000097:blood; D006515:Hepatitis B virus / Q000187:drug effects; D019694:Hepatitis B, Chronic / Q000097:blood / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000821:virology*; D006801:Humans; D000077190:Interferon alpha-2; D016898:Interferon-alpha / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011092:Polyethylene Glycols / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D055815:Young Adult
D000998:Antiviral Agents; D006513:Hepatitis B e Antigens; D000077190:Interferon alpha-2; D016898:Interferon-alpha; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D011092:Polyethylene Glycols; C100416:peginterferon alfa-2a