title: [Study on the relationship between HBV viral loads and the changes of liver pathological features in patients with HBeAg-negative chronic hepatitis B].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the relationship between serum HBV DNA loads and liver histology damage in the patients with HBeAg-negative chronic hepatitis B.
  
  
  METHODS
  The retrospective study was performed. The 514 patients were divided into two groups according to the HBeAg status and the HBeAg positive group was as control. The relationship among HBV DNA loads, live histological inflammation grades and fibrosis stages was analyzed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The HBV DNA loads in HBeAg-negative group and HBeAg-positive group were (5.38 +/- 1.27) log10 copies/ml and (6.80 +/- 1.18) log10 copies/ml respectively (P < 0.001). The inflammation grades and fibrosis stages of liver tissues in HBeAg-negative group were all significantly higher than those in HBeAg-positive group (P < 0.001). In HBeAg-negative group, HBV DNA loads displayed a positive correlation with the inflammation grades and fibrosis stages of liver tissues (P < 0.001).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In the patients with HBeAg-negative chronic hepatitis B, HBV viral loads are lower than those with HBeAg-positive chronic hepatitis B, and HBV viral loads display a positive correlation with liver the inflammation grades and fibrosis stages of liver tissues.
authors.affiliation: Ningbo Infectious Disease Hospital, Zhejiang 315010, China. chuantong.lu@gmail.com
authors.forename: Chuan-Tong
authors.initials: CT
authors.lastname: Lu
authors.forename: Wen-Hong
authors.initials: WH
authors.lastname: Zhou
authors.forename: Ai-Rong
authors.initials: AR
authors.lastname: Hu
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000410:Alanine Transaminase / Q000378:metabolism; D004279:DNA, Viral / Q000032:analysis*; D005260:Female; D006513:Hepatitis B e Antigens / Q000276:immunology; D006515:Hepatitis B virus / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D019694:Hepatitis B, Chronic / Q000276:immunology; D006801:Humans; D007249:Inflammation / Q000276:immunology*; D008099:Liver / Q000473:pathology* / Q000821:virology; D008297:Male; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012698:Serologic Tests; D019562:Viral Load / Q000276:immunology*; D014894:Weights and Measures
chemical_list: D004279:DNA, Viral; D006513:Hepatitis B e Antigens; D000410:Alanine Transaminase