BACKGROUND We investigated the differences in HBsAg kinetics at different levels of viremia in hepatitis B e antigen (HBeAg)-negative chronic hepatitis B (CHB). METHODS We compared HBsAg levels among HBeAg-negative CHB patients with persistently undetectable HBV DNA (≤20 IU/mL; Group A, n = 100), HBV DNA 20-2,000 IU/mL (Group B, n = 100), and HBV DNA >2,000 IU/mL (Group C, n = 100). HBsAg and...

BACKGROUND/AIMS Entecavir is a potent nucleoside analogue with high efficacy and barrier for resistance. We aimed to investigate the long-term efficacy and viral resistance rate of entecavir and explore the factors associated with virologic response, including quantitative hepatitis B surface antigen (qHBsAg) levels. METHODS One thousand and nine treatment-naïve chronic hepatitis B (CHB) pati...

BACKGROUND Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) risk after resolving chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection is unclear. AIM To compare HCC risk between Alaska Native (AN) patients with and without hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) seroclearance. METHODS We selected persons with (case-patients) and without (control-patients) HBsAg seroclearance from a cohort of 1346 chronically HBV-infected A...

The emergence of new and more potent treatment options has markedly changed the treatment landscape of chronic hepatitis B. Both peginterferon and nucleos(t)ide analogues have considerable advantages and limitations, and current treatment guidelines refrain from clearly suggesting a first-line treatment option. Peginterferon offers the advantage of higher sustained response rates in both hepati...

This review article is an update of the current treatment strategies available for chronic hepatitis B. In addition to achieving on-therapy clinical remission and suppression of HBV replication without resistance, the ultimate goal of therapy is the development of sustained remission and HBsAg loss after discontinuation of treatment. This is the closest possible to cure outcome for hepatitis B ...

OBJECTIVES This meta-analysis was conducted to examine the effectiveness of Chinese herbal medicine (either alone or with interferon alfa) in treating chronic hepatitis B. METHODS We searched the TCMLARS, AMED, CISCOM, EMBASE, MEDLINE, and Cochrane Collaboration databases and then hand-searched the articles' bibliographies. RESULTS Chinese herbal medicine significantly increased seroreversi...

BACKGROUND Kinetics of serum hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) level in hepatitis B e antigen (HBeAg)-negative chronic hepatitis B patients presented with severe reactivation and received oral antiviral therapy is unknown. We aimed to investigate the kinetics of HBsAg level among these patients. METHODS HBeAg-negative patients on antiviral therapy with follow-up for 2 years were studied. Th...

BACKGROUND New drugs are needed to combat HBV infection. We investigated the anti-HBV activity of the deoxycytidine analogue FNC, which has anticancer activity and has been found to inhibit HCV replication. METHODS In this study, a human hepatoma HepG2.2.15 cell culture system and duck HBV (DHBV) infection model were used as the in vitro and in vivo models to evaluate the anti-HBV activity of...

We compared the sensitivity of the polymerase chain-reaction (PCR) assay to that of slot-blot hybridization for detecting hepatitis B virus (HBV) DNA in the serum of 31 patients with chronic hepatitis. Of 14 chronic hepatitis patients positive for both HBV surface and HBV e antigens, 9 were positive for HBV DNA by slot-blot hybridization and all 14 by PCR. Also, of 9 patients positive for HBV s...

OBJECTIVE To determine markers of HBV infection and detect the presence of its occult infection in serum of a cohort of adult Nigerians. METHODOLOGY The study involved 28 adult Nigerians with viral hepatitis (Group 1) and 28 apparently healthy adult Nigerians as controls (Group 2). Their sera were assayed for HBsAg, HBeAg, anti-HBe, anti-HBc, anti-HBs, and anti-HCV, while HBV DNA was determin...