title: Review of Laboratory Tests used in Monitoring Hepatitis B Response to Pegylated Interferon and Nucleos(t)ide Analog Therapy.
abstract: There are only two currently approved classes of hepatitis B virus (HBV) antiviral agents, pegylated interferon (Peg-IFN), and nucleos(t)ide analogs (NAs) for chronic HBV infection. Although Peg-IFN is used for a finite 48-week duration and offers a greater chance of sustained off-treatment virological response, it is poorly tolerated and can only be offered to selected patients. The NAs are well tolerated but require prolonged therapy due to risk of relapse with treatment cessation. There is evolving data that novel virological assays (e.g., quantitative hepatitis B surface antigen, quantitative hepatitis B core antigen, quantitative antibody to core protein) in combination with hepatitis B genotype and more sensitive HBV DNA polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assays may be useful to predict response to IFN as well as off-treatment NA durability. Utilization of these clinical laboratory tests may be important given the development of novel anti-HBV therapies, hoping to achieve a cure for chronic hepatitis B infection.
authors.affiliation: Bloodborne Pathogens and Hepatitis, National Microbiology Laboratory, Public Health Agency of Canada, 1015 Arlington St., Winnipeg, MB R3E 3R2 Canada.
authors.forename: Carla
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Osiowy
authors.affiliation: Liver Unit, Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB Canada.
authors.forename: Carla
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Coffin
authors.affiliation: Bloodborne Pathogens and Hepatitis, National Microbiology Laboratory, Public Health Agency of Canada, 1015 Arlington St., Winnipeg, MB R3E 3R2 Canada.
authors.forename: Anton
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Andonov
keywords: Antiviral therapy; Hepatitis B virus; Monitoring response; Nucleos(t)ide analog; Peg-IFN; qHBsAg