title: Predicting clinical outcomes in patients with HBsAg-positive chronic hepatitis.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The progression of HBsAg-positive chronic hepatitis is insidious and unpredictable. Identification of factors leading to either a benign or more serious clinical outcome may assist in decision making for antiviral therapy.
  
  
  METHODS
  From 1989 to 1998, 130 untreated patients with chronic hepatitis were enrolled in a prospective study and followed every 3-6 months with liver and virologic tests, platelet counts and alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) measurements.
  
  
  RESULTS
  During a mean follow-up of 107 ± 86 months, 16 (12.3 %) chronic hepatitis patients progressed to cirrhosis (annual rate 1.4 %), and 23 (17.7 %) reverted to being inactive carriers (annual rate 2.1 %). Compared to baseline values, chronic hepatitis patients who progressed to cirrhosis exhibited declines in mean platelet counts (225.7-195.2 mm(3), p = 0.008-0.04) during the first 4 years of follow-up, while those who reverted to being inactive carriers had substantial reductions in mean levels of AST (83.5-27.2 u/l, p < 0.001-0.002) and ALT (100.2-29.2 u/l, p < 0.001-0.007). In addition, during spontaneous alanine aminotransferase (ALT) flares, patients progressing to cirrhosis had concomitant elevations of AFP levels, while patients who became inactive carriers maintained normal AFP values during ALT flares (13.45 vs. 4.65 ng/ml, p = 0.001). These AFP differences during episodes of ALT flares were similarly observed when analyzed in two separate cohorts of cirrhosis and inactive carrier patients.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Patients with chronic hepatitis who progressed to cirrhosis exhibited declines in platelet counts and had AFP elevations during ALT flares. To prevent progression, serial measurements of these parameters during the chronic hepatitis stage will assist in identifying patients requiring antiviral therapy.
authors.affiliation: Liver Center, Huntington Medical Research Institutes, 660 South Fair Oaks Avenue, Pasadena, CA, 91105, USA. myrontong@hmri.org.|Division of Digestive Diseases, The Pfleger Liver Institute, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, USA. myrontong@hmri.org.
authors.forename: Myron John
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Tong
authors.affiliation: Liver Center, Huntington Medical Research Institutes, 660 South Fair Oaks Avenue, Pasadena, CA, 91105, USA.
authors.forename: Thatcher Thi
authors.initials: TT
authors.lastname: Huynh
authors.affiliation: Liver Center, Huntington Medical Research Institutes, 660 South Fair Oaks Avenue, Pasadena, CA, 91105, USA. surachate@yahoo.com.|Division of Digestive Diseases, The Pfleger Liver Institute, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, USA. surachate@yahoo.com.|Chulabhorn Hospital, Bangkok, Thailand. surachate@yahoo.com.
authors.forename: Surachate
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Siripongsakun
authors.affiliation: Liver Center, Huntington Medical Research Institutes, 660 South Fair Oaks Avenue, Pasadena, CA, 91105, USA.
authors.forename: Patrick Weijen
authors.initials: PW
authors.lastname: Chang
authors.affiliation: Liver Center, Huntington Medical Research Institutes, 660 South Fair Oaks Avenue, Pasadena, CA, 91105, USA.
authors.forename: Lori Terese
authors.initials: LT
authors.lastname: Tong
authors.affiliation: Liver Center, Huntington Medical Research Institutes, 660 South Fair Oaks Avenue, Pasadena, CA, 91105, USA.
authors.forename: Yen Phi
authors.initials: YP
authors.lastname: Ha
authors.affiliation: Liver Center, Huntington Medical Research Institutes, 660 South Fair Oaks Avenue, Pasadena, CA, 91105, USA.
authors.forename: Edward Alphonso
authors.initials: EA
authors.lastname: Mena
authors.affiliation: Liver Center, Huntington Medical Research Institutes, 660 South Fair Oaks Avenue, Pasadena, CA, 91105, USA.
authors.forename: Matthew Frank
authors.initials: MF
authors.lastname: Weissman
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D004279:DNA, Viral / Q000032:analysis; D018450:Disease Progression; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D005544:Forecasting; D006514:Hepatitis B Surface Antigens / Q000276:immunology*; D006515:Hepatitis B virus / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology*; D019694:Hepatitis B, Chronic / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000821:virology; D006801:Humans; D008103:Liver Cirrhosis / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology*; D008297:Male; D011446:Prospective Studies; D000509:alpha-Fetoproteins / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D004279:DNA, Viral; D006514:Hepatitis B Surface Antigens; D000509:alpha-Fetoproteins
keywords: Chronic hepatitis; Cirrhosis; Hepatitis B; Inactive carriers