title: Hepatitis B s antigen kinetics during treatment with nucleos(t)ides analogues in patients with hepatitis B e antigen-negative chronic hepatitis B.
abstract: Serum hepatitis B s antigen (HBsAg) levels might be used as a predictor of virological breakthrough or of sustained off-treatment virological response in hepatitis B e antigen (HBeAg)-negative chronic hepatitis B (CHB) patients. We evaluated the changes of HBsAg in those patients under nucleos(t)ide analogue(s) [NA(s)] therapy for ≥12 months.
  
  
  
  We included 99 HBeAg-negative CHB patients treated with low-genetic barrier NA(s) for a mean of 66 months (lamivudine: 66, adefovir: 6, lamivudine plus adefovir: 11 and telbivudine: 16) and 86 HBeAg-negative CHB patients treated under entecavir or tenofovir for a mean of 30 months as the comparison group.
  
  
  
  Compared to baseline, HBsAg levels decreased by a median of 162, 1525, 943, 1545, 2163 and 3859 IU/mL at 6, 12, 24, 36, 48 and 60 months of therapy with low-genetic barrier NA(s) respectively. The 6-, 12-, 24-, 36-, 48- and 60-month cumulative rates of HBsAg<100 IU/mL were 2%, 3%, 3%, 5%, 5% and 5%, and <1000 IU/mL 6%, 9%, 15%, 19%, 24% and 61% respectively. Baseline HBsAg levels were the only significant variable associated with the time to HBsAg drop <1000 IU/mL. HBsAg loss occurred in 3.0% of patients. The high-genetic barrier NAs were not found to offer a greater or faster HBsAg decline.
  
  
  
  In HBeAg-negative CHB patients, long-term therapy with low-genetic barrier NA(s) decreases serum HBsAg levels, but the rate of decline is slow. Lower baseline HBsAg levels are significantly associated with on-therapy HBsAg drop <1000 IU/mL. Serum HBsAg decline is similar during therapy with low- or high-genetic barrier NAs.
authors.affiliation: 2nd Department of Internal Medicine, Hippokration General Hospital of Athens, Medical School of National & Kapodistrian University of Athens, Athens, Greece.
authors.forename: Athanasia
authors.identifier: 0000-0002-2707-8014
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Striki
authors.affiliation: 2nd Department of Internal Medicine, Hippokration General Hospital of Athens, Medical School of National & Kapodistrian University of Athens, Athens, Greece.
authors.forename: Spilios
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Manolakopoulos
authors.affiliation: 2nd Department of Internal Medicine, Hippokration General Hospital of Athens, Medical School of National & Kapodistrian University of Athens, Athens, Greece.
authors.forename: Melanie
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Deutsch
authors.affiliation: 2nd Department of Internal Medicine, Hippokration General Hospital of Athens, Medical School of National & Kapodistrian University of Athens, Athens, Greece.
authors.forename: Anastasia
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kourikou
authors.affiliation: 2nd Department of Internal Medicine, Hippokration General Hospital of Athens, Medical School of National & Kapodistrian University of Athens, Athens, Greece.
authors.forename: George
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Kontos
authors.affiliation: 2nd Department of Internal Medicine, Hippokration General Hospital of Athens, Medical School of National & Kapodistrian University of Athens, Athens, Greece.
authors.forename: Hariklia
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Kranidioti
authors.affiliation: 2nd Department of Internal Medicine, Hippokration General Hospital of Athens, Medical School of National & Kapodistrian University of Athens, Athens, Greece.
authors.forename: Emilia
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Hadziyannis
authors.affiliation: Department of Gastroenterology, Laiko General Hospital of Athens, Medical School of National & Kapodistrian University of Athens, Athens, Greece.
authors.forename: George
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Papatheodoridis
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000998:Antiviral Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D004279:DNA, Viral / Q000097:blood; D005260:Female; D006514:Hepatitis B Surface Antigens / Q000097:blood*; D006513:Hepatitis B e Antigens / Q000097:blood; D006515:Hepatitis B virus; D019694:Hepatitis B, Chronic / Q000097:blood* / Q000188:drug therapy*; D006801:Humans; D007700:Kinetics; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016016:Proportional Hazards Models
chemical_list: D000998:Antiviral Agents; D004279:DNA, Viral; D006514:Hepatitis B Surface Antigens; D006513:Hepatitis B e Antigens
keywords: HBsAg kinetics; hepatitis B; mixed regression analysis; nucleos(t)ide analogues