title: Alanine aminotransferase is more sensitive to the decrease in hepatitis B virus-DNA load than other liver markers in chronic hepatitis B patients.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  A direct correlation between hepatitis B virus DNA (HBV-DNA) and liver markers has not been identified in chronic hepatitis B (CHB) patients. However, the effect of HBV-DNA changes on liver markers remains unclear. We explored the association between decreased HBV-DNA and liver makers in CHB patients.
  
  
  METHODS
  Chronic hepatitis B patients who visited Jinhua Central Hospital twice were selected for analysis. Finally, 171 participants with a 1-log reduction in HBV-DNA between the two visits were enrolled as the case group, and 158 participants with no significant changes in HBV-DNA were enrolled as the control group.
  
  
  RESULTS
  There was no significant correlation between HBV-DNA and liver markers (P>.05). However, in longitudinal analysis, alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), and gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase (GGT) were significantly different between the two tests (P<.05) in the case group. Conversely, there was no significant difference in the control group. When HBV-DNA decreased >26 times, ALT was reduced by half or more. A similar trend was observed with a decrease of >63 times for AST and a decrease of >76 times for GGT.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  A large change in HBV-DNA can lead to a significant variation in liver markers. In particular, ALT was more sensitive than other liver markers to a reduction in HBV-DNA.
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Laboratory, Jinhua Central Hospital, Jinhua, China.
authors.forename: Hua-Bin
authors.initials: HB
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Wenzhou Medical College, Wenzhou, China.
authors.forename: Qiong-Yu
authors.initials: QY
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Laboratory, Jinhua Central Hospital, Jinhua, China.
authors.forename: Qing
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Yuan
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Laboratory, Jinhua Central Hospital, Jinhua, China.
authors.forename: Xiao-Yun
authors.initials: XY
authors.lastname: Shan
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Laboratory, Jinhua Central Hospital, Jinhua, China.
authors.forename: Guan-Hua
authors.initials: GH
authors.lastname: Fu
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000410:Alanine Transaminase / Q000097:blood*; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D015331:Cohort Studies; D004279:DNA, Viral / Q000097:blood*; D005260:Female; D006515:Hepatitis B virus; D019694:Hepatitis B, Chronic / Q000097:blood / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000821:virology; D006801:Humans; D008099:Liver / Q000378:metabolism / Q000821:virology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012372:ROC Curve; D019562:Viral Load / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D004279:DNA, Viral; D000410:Alanine Transaminase
keywords: CHB patients; HBV-DNA load; liver markers