title: [Clinical significance of high-sensitivity C-reactive protein in development of chronic hepatitis B].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To explore the clinical significance of high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hsCRP) in the development of chronic hepatitis B (CHB).
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 182 patients with untreated CHB and 50 healthy individuals (controls) participated in the study. Correlation analysis was performed to determine the association of serum hs-CRP with the age,sex,medical history,serum hepatitis B virus (HBV) DNA, liver function parameters,liver stiffness measure (LSM) and hepatic fibrosis; in addition, correlation analysis was carried out for the associations of degree of liver damage with grade of hepatic fibrosis, LSM and the serum levels of hs-CRP.
  
  
  RESULTS
  CHB patients showed significantly higher serum hs-CRP levels than healthy controls (2.38 ± 2.79 vs.0.78 ± 1.07; t =2.495, P < 0.05). Serum hs-CRP levels were significantly correlated with HBV DNA (r = 0.159), liver function parameters (total bilirubin, r = 0.271; alanine aminotransferase, r = 0.298; aspartate aminotransferase, r = 0.389), and LSM, r = 0.562) (all P < 0.05). The correlations with liver function (r = 0.340), LSM (r = 0.292) and hepatic fibrosis grade were positive (r = 0.434) (all P < 0.01).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Serum hs-CRP levels in CHB patients can reflect degree of liver damage and of liver fibrosis.
authors.affiliation: Department of Infectious Disease, General Hospital of Ningxia Medical University, Yinchuan 750004, China.
authors.forename: Lina
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Ma
authors.forename: Xiaoyan
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Yanchao
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Hu
authors.forename: Xia
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Luo
authors.forename: Yuanyuan
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Tang
authors.forename: Jinliang
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Pan
authors.forename: Shuaiwei
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Xiangchun
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Ding
mesh_terms: D000410:Alanine Transaminase; D001219:Aspartate Aminotransferases; D002097:C-Reactive Protein; D006515:Hepatitis B virus; D019694:Hepatitis B, Chronic; D006801:Humans; D008103:Liver Cirrhosis
chemical_list: D002097:C-Reactive Protein; D001219:Aspartate Aminotransferases; D000410:Alanine Transaminase