BACKGROUND Quantitative measurement of hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) has been proposed as a surrogate marker of treatment efficacy when HBV DNA load becomes undetectable. Our main objective was to study the kinetics of HBsAg level in HIV-HBV-coinfected patients with undetectable HBV DNA load under treatment containing tenofovir disoproxil fumarate (TDF). METHODS A retrospective analysis...

BACKGROUND Little is known about the risk of hepatitis B virus (HBV) reactivation in patients receiving interferon (IFN)-free direct-acting antiviral agents (DAAs) for hepatitis C virus (HCV). METHODS Patients who were seropositive for HBV core antibody and who received IFN-free DAAs for HCV were enrolled. Hepatitis B virus reactivation was defined as reappearance of serum HBV deoxyribonuclei...

Following earlier studies on high-level intracellular production of hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) using recombinant Pichia pastoris, we present here in detail an enhanced method for the purification of recombinant HBsAg virus-like particles (VLPs). We have screened various detergents for their ability to promote the solubilization of recombinant intracellular HBsAg. In addition, we have a...

Diagnosis of hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection based on hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) detection can be hampered in the setting of HBV reactivation in immunocompromized patients with prior serology indicating past cured infection, and can be associated with severe or fulminant and fatal hepatitis. We present a case of HBV reactivation in a renal transplant patient in whom HBsAg failed to b...

Background/Aims We aimed to clarify the association of hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg)/hepatitis B core antigen (HBcAg) with the disease status and treatment response in patients with chronic hepatitis B (CHB). Methods We investigated 171 biopsy-proven entecavir-treated CHB patients (109 hepatitis B e antigen [HBeAg]-positive, 62 HBeAg-negative). HBcAg expression was positive when ≥10% of...

The hypothesis that hepatitis B infection is etiologically related to hepatoma has been investigated by studying the interrelationships between hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg, Australia antigen) and the fast-moving 5'-nucleotide phosphodiesterase Band V isoenzyme (5'-NPDase-V). Sera from 58 patients with viral hepatitis were tested for 5'-NPDase-V and HBsAg. The isoenzyme was found in 34 of...

BACKGROUND Few long-term studies of hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection and hepatocellular carcinoma have focused on women. We used a nationwide cohort of reproductive-aged Taiwanese women to study relationships of HBV infection and parity with hepatocellular carcinoma risk. METHODS Prenatal test results were available for hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) and e antigen (HBeAg) in the Nationa...

BACKGROUND Neither HBV DNA nor HBsAg positivity at birth is an accurate marker for HBV infection of infants. No data is available for continuous changes of HBV markers in newborns to HBsAg(+) mothers. This prospective, multi-centers study aims at observing the dynamic changes of HBV markers and exploring an early diagnostic marker for mother-infant infection. METHODS One hundred forty-eight H...

Expression of hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg), the major envelope protein of the virus, in the absence of other viral proteins leads to its secretion as oligomers in the form of disk-like or tubular lipoprotein particles. The observation that these lipoprotein particles are heavily disulphide crosslinked is paradoxical since HBsAg assembly is classically believed to occur in the ER, and hen...

BACKGROUND Alanine aminotransferase (ALT) flares occur frequently during peginterferon (PEG-IFN) therapy. We related occurrence of flares to presence of precore (PC) and/or basal core promoter (BCP) mutants and studied kinetics of hepatitis B e antigen (HBeAg) and hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) levels during flares. METHODS Fifty of 214 (23%) patients treated with PEG-IFN ± lamivudine fo...