[Comparison of liver pathohistological and clinical characteristics between chronic HBV carriers and chronic hepatitis B patients with mild elevation in ALT].
OBJECTIVE
To compare the liver pathohistological and clinical features between chronic HBV carriers and chronic hepatitis B patients with mild elevated in ALT.


METHODS
128 patients were divided into 3 groups according to the ALT: group A: ALT is less than or equal to 0.5*ULN, group B: 0.5*ULN less than ALT is less than or equal to 1*ULN, group C: 1*ULN less than ALT less than 2*ULN. The age, sex, serum HBV DNA, HBeAg status, expression of HBcAg in liver, thickness of spleen, breadth of portal vein ,blood stream speed of protal vein, right liver obliqua diameter, grade of liver inflammation and stage of liver fibrosis were compared in the three groups.


RESULTS
Among 128 patients, 57(44.5%) patients had G1 hepatitis and 71 (55.5%) had G2 hepatitis, no G0 hepatitis was found in these patients; 72 patients (56.3%) had S1 fibrosis, 30 (23.4%) patients had S2 fibrosis, and 26 (20.3%) patients did not have liver fibrosis. The liver inflammation in group C was more aggravated than that in group A (P less than 0.05). And there were significant differences in thickness of spleen and right liver obliqua diameter between group C and group A, as well as between group C and B (P all less than 0.01). With the aggravating of liver inflammation, the serum ALT, thickness of spleen, breadth of portal vein and expression of HBcAg in liver were increased obviously (P less than 0.05). With the aggravating of liver fibrosis, the thickness of spleen, breadth of portal vein, right liver obliqua diameter and HBeAg negative patients were increased obviously, while the blood stream speed of portal vein was decreased obviously (P less than 0.01).


CONCLUSIONS
Among the chronic HBV infection patients whose ALT less than 2*ULN, there were 55.5% patients had G2 of liver inflammation and 23.4% patients had S2 of liver fibrosis. The serum ALT, thickness of spleen, breadth and blood stream speed of portal vein, right liver obliqua diameter and expression of HBcAg in liver are associated with pathohistological changes in these patients.
Geng
Xiao-Xia
XX
Department of Infectious Diseases, Sichuan Academy of Medical Sciences and Sichuan Provincial People Hospital, Chengdu 610072, China.
Lin
Jian-Mei
JM
Yang
Xing-Xiang
XX
Huang
Ren-Gang
RG
Jiang
Nan
N
D000328:Adult; D000410:Alanine Transaminase / Q000097:blood*; D001707:Biopsy, Needle; D002353:Carrier State / Q000097:blood / Q000473:pathology* / Q000821:virology; D004279:DNA, Viral / Q000097:blood*; D005260:Female; D006512:Hepatitis B Core Antigens / Q000378:metabolism; D006513:Hepatitis B e Antigens / Q000097:blood; D019694:Hepatitis B, Chronic / Q000097:blood / Q000473:pathology* / Q000821:virology; D006801:Humans; D008099:Liver / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology* / Q000821:virology; D008103:Liver Cirrhosis / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction / Q000379:methods; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D014779:Virus Replication
D004279:DNA, Viral; D006512:Hepatitis B Core Antigens; D006513:Hepatitis B e Antigens; D000410:Alanine Transaminase