title: Serum hepatitis B core-related antigen is a satisfactory surrogate marker of intrahepatic covalently closed circular DNA in chronic hepatitis B.
abstract: Recently, hepatitis B core-related antigen (HBcrAg) has been suggested as an additional marker of hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection. This study aimed to investigate whether serum quantitative HBcrAg (qHBcrAg) was a satisfactory surrogate marker of intrahepatic covalently closed circular DNA (cccDNA). A total of 139 patients with liver biopsy were enrolled, consisting of 59 patients in immune tolerance (IT) phase, 52 patients in immune clearance (IC) phase, 18 patients in low-replication (LR) phase, and 10 patients in reactivation phase. All patients in IC phase have received entecavir (ETV) therapy, and 32 of them undergone a second liver biopsy at 24 months. Among those patients, qHBcrAg was strongly correlated with intrahepatic cccDNA, which is superior to that of qHBsAg and HBV DNA. And similar findings were also observed in patients in IT, IC, LR and reactivation phases. Among the 32 ETV-treated patients with a second liver biopsy in IC phase, the decline of intrahepatic cccDNA was accompanied by changes in both qHBcrAg and qHBsAg. However, as compared to qHBsAg, the change of qHBcrAg was more strongly associated with intrahepatic cccDNA-decline. In summary, serum qHBcrAg should be a satisfactory surrogate of intrahepatic HBV cccDNA in CHB patients.
authors.affiliation: Center of Infectious Diseases, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, P.R. China.|Division of Infectious Diseases, State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, Sichuan University, Chengdu, P.R. China.
authors.forename: En-Qiang
authors.initials: EQ
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.affiliation: Department of Laboratory Medicine, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, P.R. China.
authors.forename: Shu
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Feng
authors.affiliation: Center of Infectious Diseases, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, P.R. China.|Division of Infectious Diseases, State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, Sichuan University, Chengdu, P.R. China.
authors.forename: Meng-Lan
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Center of Infectious Diseases, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, P.R. China.|Division of Infectious Diseases, State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, Sichuan University, Chengdu, P.R. China.
authors.forename: Ling-Bo
authors.initials: LB
authors.lastname: Liang
authors.affiliation: Center of Infectious Diseases, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, P.R. China.|Division of Infectious Diseases, State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, Sichuan University, Chengdu, P.R. China.
authors.forename: Ling-Yun
authors.initials: LY
authors.lastname: Zhou
authors.affiliation: Center of Infectious Diseases, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, P.R. China.|Division of Infectious Diseases, State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, Sichuan University, Chengdu, P.R. China.
authors.forename: Ling-Yao
authors.initials: LY
authors.lastname: Du
authors.affiliation: Center of Infectious Diseases, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, P.R. China.|Division of Infectious Diseases, State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, Sichuan University, Chengdu, P.R. China.
authors.forename: Li-Bo
authors.initials: LB
authors.lastname: Yan
authors.affiliation: Department of Laboratory Medicine, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, P.R. China.
authors.forename: Chuan-Min
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Tao
authors.affiliation: Center of Infectious Diseases, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, P.R. China. htang6198@hotmail.com.|Division of Infectious Diseases, State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, Sichuan University, Chengdu, P.R. China. htang6198@hotmail.com.
authors.forename: Hong
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Tang
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000998:Antiviral Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D004270:DNA, Circular / Q000235:genetics*; D004279:DNA, Viral / Q000235:genetics; D005260:Female; D006147:Guanine / Q000031:analogs & derivatives / Q000627:therapeutic use; D006512:Hepatitis B Core Antigens / Q000097:blood*; D006515:Hepatitis B virus / Q000235:genetics* / Q000276:immunology; D019694:Hepatitis B, Chronic / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology* / Q000821:virology; D006801:Humans; D008099:Liver / Q000737:chemistry / Q000821:virology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D000998:Antiviral Agents; D004270:DNA, Circular; D004279:DNA, Viral; D006512:Hepatitis B Core Antigens; C413685:entecavir; D006147:Guanine