Is HBsAg quantification ready, for prime time?
Despite the availability of an efficient hepatitis B vaccine, approximately 240 million individuals are chronically infected with hepatitis B virus worldwide. One-fourth of hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg)-positive patients will develop complications, such as cirrhosis or hepatocellular carcinoma, both major causes of liver-related deaths. Antiviral therapies, such as pegylated interferon alpha or nucleoside/nucleotide analogues, are effective in suppressing HBV DNA and reducing the subsequent risk of fibrosis progression, cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma. HBsAg has proven to be a steady, reliable marker of chronic HBV carriage that can also be used to predict clinical outcomes. Three commercial enzyme immunoassays are now available for HBsAg quantification. A number of recent studies have shown clinical utility of HBsAg quantification in combination with HBV DNA levels to identify inactive carriers who need antiviral therapy and in interferon treated-patients in order to predict the virological response to pegylated interferon alpha.
Inserm U955, Department of Virology, Université Paris-Est, French National Reference Center for Viral Hepatitis B, C and delta, hôpital Henri-Mondor, 51, avenue du Maréchal-de-Lattre-de-Tassigny, 94010 Créteil, France. Electronic address: stephane.chevaliez@hmn.aphp.fr.
Stéphane
S
Chevaliez
D000998:Antiviral Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D004279:DNA, Viral / Q000097:blood; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000150:complications; D006514:Hepatitis B Surface Antigens / Q000097:blood*; D006515:Hepatitis B virus / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology*; D019694:Hepatitis B, Chronic / Q000097:blood / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000188:drug therapy; D019701:Hepatitis D, Chronic / Q000150:complications; D006801:Humans; D000077190:Interferon alpha-2; D016898:Interferon-alpha / Q000627:therapeutic use; D009705:Nucleosides / Q000627:therapeutic use; D009711:Nucleotides / Q000627:therapeutic use; D011092:Polyethylene Glycols / Q000627:therapeutic use; D011994:Recombinant Proteins / Q000627:therapeutic use
D000998:Antiviral Agents; D015415:Biomarkers; D004279:DNA, Viral; D006514:Hepatitis B Surface Antigens; D000077190:Interferon alpha-2; D016898:Interferon-alpha; D009705:Nucleosides; D009711:Nucleotides; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D011092:Polyethylene Glycols; C417083:peginterferon alfa-2b; C100416:peginterferon alfa-2a