HBsAg seroconversion, durable HBsAg loss, and the presence of anti-HBs are considered indicators of an almost complete cure of chronic HBV infection, which is viewed as a goal that is rarely achieved with current antiviral treatments. Researchers from the College of Medicine of National Taiwan University and National Taiwan University Children’s Hospital identified that the undetectable circulating HBV RNA after HBeAg-seroconversion is an important predictor of HBsAg seroconversion.
Hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection remains the leading cause of chronic viral hepatitis and is reported to result in more than 1 million related deaths every year worldwide.
Scientists from the College of Medicine at National Taiwan University and National Taiwan University Children’s Hospital have followed a long-term cohort of chronic HBV-infected patients in Taiwan since 1984. They investigated the natural course and treatment responses in chronic HBV-infected patients from childhood to adulthood. The new data published in Gut, demonstrated novel predictors of HBsAg seroconversion in chronic HBV-infected patients.
Previous studies have demonstrated that the treatment of chronic HBV-infected children with lamivudine may increase the risk of HBV flare in adulthood. Thus, most clinicians often recommend conservative observation for children with chronic HBV infection. To treat or not to treat chronic HBV-infected children with inflammation remains unclear to date.
HBsAg < 1000 IU/mL after HBeAg seroconversion and antivirals before 18 years of age have been demonstrated to predict HBV functional cure previously, and are identified to predict HBsAg seroconversion in this study. Undetectable circulating HBV RNA and A2131C mutants <10% after HBeAg seroconversion are 2 novel biomarkers of HBsAg seroconversion in this study.
“Our important study demonstrated the benefit of early antiviral treatment in chronic HBV-infected children,” says first author Professor Jia-Feng Wu, College of Medicine at National Taiwan University and National Taiwan University Children’s Hospital, and the current president of Taiwan Society of Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition (TSPGHAN).
“We also identified novel biomarkers of HBsAg seroconversion in chronic HBV-infected patients. With these biomarkers, we may approach the precision management of our chronic HBV-infected patients.”
Prof. Jia-Feng Wu's email address: wjf@ntu.edu.tw
To see article on Asia Research News: https://www.asiaresearchnews.com/content/novel-predictor-hbv-clearance-researchers-demonstrate-roles-circulating-hbv-rna