Comparison between quantitative hepatitis B surface antigen, hepatitis B e-antigen and hepatitis B virus DNA levels for predicting virological response to pegylated interferon-a-2b therapy in hepatitis B e-antigen-positive chronic hepatitis Bhepr_592 269..277

Results: VR at 48 weeks post-treatment, defined as HBeAg seroconversion and HBV DNA less than 10 000 copies/mL was achieved in 10 (33.3%) patients. Responders had significantly lower baseline HBsAg, HBeAg, cccDNA and intrahepatic HBV DNA levels than non-responders. Baseline and reduced levels of log10 HBsAg and log10 HBeAg correlated well with those of log10 cccDNA and log10 total intrahepatic HBV DNA. Responders showed consistent decrease in serum HBsAg, HBeAg and HBV DNA levels during therapy. HBeAg level of 2.0 log10 sample to cut-off ratio at week 24 on therapy provided the best prediction of sustained virological response, with sensitivity and negative predictive values of 85% and 92%, respectively. One patient (3.3%) who cleared HBsAg at follow up exhibited a more rapid decline in serum HBsAg during therapy than those who developed VR without HBsAg clearance.