BACKGROUND The elimination of hepatitis B virus surface antigen (HBsAg) is the final goal of hepatitis B treatment, but is rarely achieved. As quantitative assays for HBsAg recently became available, we have investigated whether quantitative HBsAg measurements can substitute for hepatitis B virus (HBV) DNA quantification in treatment monitoring. METHODS Within this study, 23 liver transplant ...

BACKGROUND The decline in hepatitis B virus surface antigen (HBsAg) may be an early predictor of the viral efficacy of Hepatitis B virus (HBV) therapy. The HBsAg levels obtained by different immunoassays now need comparing and the relationships between levels of HBsAg and HBV DNA alongside HBsAg and genotype must be evaluated. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS HBsAg levels were compared among 80...

BACKGROUND With use of peginterferon alfa-2a and ribavirin combination therapy in patients with dual chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) and hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection, 11.2% of patients achieved clearance of hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) at 6 months after treatment; however, reactivation of HBV DNA was observed in 36.3%. We investigated the predictive potential of HBsAg quantification...

The efficiency of different vaccination techniques to prime in vivo major histocompatibility complex class I-restricted murine cytotoxic T-lymphocyte (CTL) precursors to hepatitis B virus small surface antigen (HBsAg) was investigated. Mice were immunized either by injection of a low dose of recombinant HBsAg protein preparations (native HBsAg particles or denatured HBsAg monomers) without adju...

Background: Hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) and viral load are important clinical indicators for antiviral therapy. Few studies have evaluated sequence biomarkers predicting the risk of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) in stage, which show a low serological response (HBsAg < 100 IU/ml) high levels (HBV DNA > 2,000 IU/ml). This study aims to determine trend biological prevalence ...

Background and Aims: Hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) loss is seldom achieved with nucleos(t)ide analog (NA) therapy in chronic hepatitis B patients but may be enhanced by switching to finite pegylated-interferon (Peg-IFN) alfa-2a. We assessed HBsAg loss with 48- and 96-week Peg-IFN alfa-2a in chronic hepatitis B patients with partial response to a previous NA. Methods: Hepatitis B e antigen...

Sir, I read with interest the paper by Mollica et al.1 and should like to add the results of our prospective study for comparison with other Mediterranean countries on 37 HBsAg mothers who were found among 1002 pregnant women attending a maternity hospital. Although 3.7% of the mothers were positive for HBsAg, only in 0. 1 % of cord blood specimens was HBsAg demonstrable by counter electrophore...

BACKGROUND Interferon-α/ribavirin combination therapy might promote hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) seroclearance in patients dually infected with hepatitis B and C viruses (HBV/HCV), but the long-term effect remains unclear. We aimed to investigate the rate of and the factors associated with HBsAg seroclearance during long-term follow-up after interferon-α/ribavirin combination therapy in ...

INTRODUCTION The intrahepatic hepatitis B surface antigens (HBsAg) expression is related to disease progression of chronic hepatitis B. We examined the features of intrahepatic HBsAg expression. MATERIAL AND METHODS A total of 181 patients with e antigen positive chronic hepatitis B were enrolled. Patterns and semi-quantitative measurement of intrahepatic HBsAg expression were analyzed. The a...

BACKGROUND Presence at the same time of HBsAg and anti-HBs antibodies (HBsAg/Ab) is an entity sometimes encountered in chronic hepatitis B (CHB) carriers. OBJECTIVES This study was designed to characterize such serological profiles and to assess the reliability of serological marker quantification by three commercially available assays in this setting. STUDY DESIGN Among 2578 CHB identified...