title: [Liver histopathological features influencing HBeAg seroconversion in patients with HBeAg-positive chronic hepatitis B responding to Peg-IFN treatment].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the therapeutic efficiency of antiviral treatment with pegylated-interferon (Peg-IFN) for hepatitis B e antigen (HBeAg)-positive chronic hepatitis B (CHB) and to explore whether liver histopathological features or other factors influence the HBeAg seroconversion treatment response.
  
  
  METHODS
  Eighty HBeAg-positive CHB patients with diagnosis confirmed by liver puncture were treated with Peg-IFN(2a or 2b)body weight dose, once weekly). At treatment week 48, the rate of HBeAg seroconversion was determined and used to analyze the influence of liver histopathological features (liver biopsy assessment of: inflammation, graded G0 to G4; fibrosis stage, graded S0 to S4), sex, age, differential levels (pre-treatment baseline vs. week 48 post-treatment) of serum alanine transferase (ALT), and HBV DNA, by binary logistic analysis.
  
  
  RESULTS
  At week 48, the overall rate of HBeAg seroconversion was 30.0%. The rate of HBeAg seroconversion gradually advanced with increased liver inflammation (X2 = 8.435, P = 0.015): 9.09% of the 22 patients with G1; 31.58% of the 38 patients with G2; 47.30% of the 19 patients with G3; the one patient with G4. In contrast, the rate of HBeAg seroconversion showed a much weaker association with liver fibrosis (X2 = 5.917, P = 0.116). Only baseline HBeAg level, and no other baseline index, was significantly different between the patients who achieved HBeAg seroconversion and those who did not. Liver inflammation and baseline HBeAg level were identified as influencing factors of HbeAg seroconversion in response to Peg-IFN treatment.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Peg-IFN therapy induces a higher rate of HBeAg seroconversion in HBeAg-positive CHB patients with severe liver inflammation; histological analysis of pre-treatment liver biopsies may help to identify patients most likely to benefit from the antiviral regimen.
authors.affiliation: Ningbo NO.2 Hospital, Zhejiang, China.
authors.forename: Hua-dong
authors.initials: HD
authors.lastname: Yan
authors.forename: Fan-rong
authors.initials: FR
authors.lastname: Jiang
authors.forename: Cheng-liang
authors.initials: CL
authors.lastname: Zhu
authors.forename: Guo-sheng
authors.initials: GS
authors.lastname: Gao
authors.forename: Peng-jian
authors.initials: PJ
authors.lastname: Weng
authors.forename: Ai-rong
authors.initials: AR
authors.lastname: Hu
authors.forename: Chang-feng
authors.initials: CF
authors.lastname: Xu
authors.forename: Yao-ren
authors.initials: YR
authors.lastname: Hu
authors.forename: Ji-fang
authors.initials: JF
authors.lastname: Sheng
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000998:Antiviral Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D005260:Female; D006513:Hepatitis B e Antigens / Q000097:blood*; D019694:Hepatitis B, Chronic / Q000097:blood* / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000473:pathology*; D006801:Humans; D016898:Interferon-alpha / Q000627:therapeutic use; D008099:Liver / Q000473:pathology*; D008297:Male; D011092:Polyethylene Glycols / Q000627:therapeutic use; D011994:Recombinant Proteins / Q000627:therapeutic use; D012698:Serologic Tests
chemical_list: D000998:Antiviral Agents; D006513:Hepatitis B e Antigens; D016898:Interferon-alpha; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D011092:Polyethylene Glycols; C100416:peginterferon alfa-2a