Values of Serum HBsAg and HBeAg Levels for Virological Response of Patients with HBV-Related Liver Cirrhosis Treated by Entecavir.

Abstract

The aim is to explore the clinical values of quantitative detection of serum hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) and hepatitis B virus e antigen (HBeAg) levels for the virological response [hepatitis B virus (HBV)-deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) level] of patients with HBV-related liver cirrhosis (HBV-LC) treated by entecavir. A total of 147 patients with HBV-LC treated from January 2016 to January 2019 were assigned to virol-ogical response (VR) group (n = 87) and no virological response (NVR) group (n = 60) according to whether virological response occurred after treatment. The values of serum HBsAg and HBeAg levels for predicting virological response were determined by receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve, Kaplan-Meier survival analysis, and 36-Item Short Form Survey (SF-36). Serum HBsAg and HBeAg levels before treatment were positively correlated with HBV-DNA level in patients with HBV-LC, and there were significant differences in serum HBsAg and HBeAg levels in the 8th, 12th, 24th, 36th, and 48th weeks of treatment (p < 0.01). In the 48th week of treatment, the area under the ROC curve (AUC) of serum HBsAg log value for predicting virological response was the largest [0.818, 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.709 - 0.965], and the optimal cutoff value, sensitivity, and specificity was 2.53 ± 0.53 IU/mL, 91.34%, and 71.93%, respectively. AUC of serum HBeAg level for predicting virological response was the largest (0.801, 95% CI: 0.673 - 0.979), and the optimal cutoff value, sensitivity, and specificity was 27.38 ± 2.14 PEIU/mL, 88.52%, and 83.42%, respectively. Serum HBsAg and HBeAg levels are correlated with the virological response of patients with HBV-LC treated by entecavir.