title: [Changes in HBsAg titer and HBV DNA load and their correlation in patients with chronic hepatitis B and HBV-related liver cirrhosis].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To explore the changes in HBsAg titer and HBV DNA load and their correlation in patients with chronic hepatitis B (CHB) and HBV-related liver cirrhosis (HBV-LC).
  
  
  METHODS
  Forty-six patients with mild to moderate CHB (CHB-LM), 24 patients with severe CHB (CHB-S), and 28 patients with HBV-LC at admission, and 51 patients with HBV-LC at 4.08 ± 3.06 months during antiviral treatment were tested for serum HBsAg titer and HBV DNA load using Abbott chemiluminescence and fluorescence quantitative PCR, respectively.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The serum HBsAg titer and HBV DNA load gradually decreased with increased disease severity (from CHB-LM, CHB-S to HBV-LC; χ(2)=12.537 and 8.381, respectively, P<0.05). HBsAg titer and HBV DNA load were significantly higher in CHB-LM and CHB-S groups than in HBV-LC group (P<0.05), but comparable between CHB-LM and CHB-S groups (Z=-0.649 and 0.032, respectively, P>0.05). Among HBeAg-positive patients, HBsAg titer and HBV DNA load tended to decrease with increased disease severity (from CHB-LM, CHB-S to HBV-LC; χ(2)=6.146, P=0.046 and χ(2)=1.017, P>0.05; respectively), and CHB-LM group had significantly higher HBsAg titer than HBV-LC group (Z=-2.247, P=0.025). Among the HBeAg-negative patients, serum HBsAg and HBV DNA load gradually declined with the disease severity (χ(2)=8.660 and 13.581, respectively, P<0.05), and were obviously higher in CHB-LM and CHB-S groups than in HBV-LC group (P<0.05). Positive correlations were found between serum HBsAg and HBV DNA levels in CHB-LM (r=0.389, P=0.009) and HBV-LC groups (r=0.431, P=0.022), but not in CHB-S group (r=0.348, P=0.104). After antiviral therapy, the serum HBsAg titer was slightly decreased (Z=-1.050, P=0.294) while HBV DNA load markedly reduced (Z=-5.415, P<0.001), showing no correlation between them (r=0.241, P=0.111) or between the measurements before and after treatment (r=0.257, P=0.085).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Serum HBsAg titer and HBV DNA load decreases progressively from CHB-LM to CHB-S and HBV-LC in both HBeAg- positive and -negative patients. The serum HBsAg titer is positively correlated with HBV DNA load, but their levels are not consistently parallel.
authors.affiliation: Department of Infectious Diseases, Quanzhou First Hospital Affiliated to Fujian Medical University, Quanzhou 362000, China.E-mail: xuepingyu163@163.com.
authors.forename: Xueping
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Yu
authors.forename: Ruyi
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Guo
authors.forename: Shaopeng
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ke
authors.forename: Qingliu
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.forename: Chengzu
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Lin
authors.forename: Zhipeng
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Lin
authors.forename: Sumei
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Julan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Pengya
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.forename: Zhijun
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Su
mesh_terms: D000998:Antiviral Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D004279:DNA, Viral / Q000097:blood*; D006514:Hepatitis B Surface Antigens / Q000097:blood*; D019694:Hepatitis B, Chronic / Q000097:blood*; D006801:Humans; D008103:Liver Cirrhosis / Q000097:blood* / Q000821:virology; D019562:Viral Load
chemical_list: D000998:Antiviral Agents; D004279:DNA, Viral; D006514:Hepatitis B Surface Antigens