Natural History Of Hepatitis B Virus Infection Research Articles

HBV-associated DLBCL of poor prognosis: advance in pathogenesis, immunity and therapy.

Advanced studies have shown a biological correlation between hepatitis B virus (HBV) and B-cell lymphoma, especially diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL). Patients with DLBCL infected with HBV (HBV-associated DLBCL) are clinically characterized by an advanced clinical stage, poor response to front-line immunochemotherapy regimens, and worse clinical prognosis. HBV-associated DLBCL often exhibits abnormal activation of the nuclear factor kappa B pathway as well as mutations in oncogenes, including Myc and BCL-6. Currently, there is no consensus on any specific and effective treatment for HBV-associated DLBCL. Therefore, in this review, we comprehensively and mechanistically analyzed the natural history of HBV infection and immunity, including HBV-mediated oncogenes, immune escape, epigenetic alterations, dysregulated signaling pathways, and potential therapeutic approaches for HBV-associated DLBCL. We hope that an improved understanding of the biology of HBV-associated DLBCL would lead to the development of novel therapeutic approaches, enhance the number of effective clinical trials, and improve the prognosis of this disease.

Hepatitis B in Africa Collaborative Network: cohort profile and analysis of baseline data.

Approximately 80 million people live with chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection in the WHO Africa Region. The natural history of HBV infection in this population is poorly characterised, and may differ from patterns observed elsewhere due to differences in prevailing genotypes, environmental exposures, co-infections, and host genetics. Existing research is largely drawn from small, single-centre cohorts, with limited follow-up time. The Hepatitis B in Africa Collaborative Network (HEPSANET) was established in 2022 to harmonise the process of ongoing data collection, analysis, and dissemination from 13 collaborating HBV cohorts in eight African countries. Research priorities for the next 5years were agreed upon through a modified Delphi survey prior to baseline data analysis being conducted. Baseline data on 4,173 participants with chronic HBV mono-infection were collected, of whom 38.3% were women and the median age was 34years (interquartile range 28-42). In total, 81.3% of cases were identified through testing of asymptomatic individuals. HBeAg-positivity was seen in 9.6% of participants. Follow-up of HEPSANET participants will generate evidence to improve the diagnosis and management of HBV in this region.

Hepatitis B virus infection reactivation in patients under immunosuppressive therapies: Pathogenesis, screening, prevention and treatment.

With a 5.3% of the global population involved, hepatitis B virus (HBV) is a major public health challenge requiring an urgent response. After a possible acute phase, the natural history of HBV infection can progress in chronicity. Patients with overt or occult HBV infection can undergo HBV reactivation (HBVr) in course of immunosuppressive treatments that, apart from oncological and hem-atological diseases, are also used in rheumatologic, gastrointestinal, neurological and dermatological settings, as well as to treat severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 infection. The risk of HBV reactivation is related to the immune status of the patient and the baseline HBV infection condition. The aim of the present paper is to investigate the risk of HBVr in those not oncological settings in order to suggest strategies for preventing and treating this occurrence. The main studies about HBVr for patients with occult hepatitis B infection and chronic HBV infection affected by non-oncologic diseases eligible for immunosuppressive treatment have been analyzed. The occurrence of this challenging event can be reduced screening the population eligible for immunosuppressant to assess the best strategies according to any virological status. Further prospective studies are needed to increase data on the risk of HBVr related to newer immunomodulant agents employed in non-oncological setting.

Hepatitis B virus DNA integration as a novel biomarker of hepatitis B virus-mediated pathogenetic properties and a barrier to the current strategies for hepatitis B virus cure.

Chronic infection with Hepatitis B Virus (HBV) is a major cause of liver-related morbidity and mortality worldwide. HBV-DNA integration into the human genome is recognized as a frequent event occurring during the early phases of HBV infection and characterizing the entire course of HBV natural history. The development of refined molecular biology technologies sheds new light on the functional implications of HBV-DNA integration into the human genome, including its role in the progression of HBV-related pathogenesis and in triggering the establishment of pro-oncogenic mechanisms, promoting the development of hepatocellular carcinoma. The present review provides an updated and comprehensive overview of the current body of knowledge on HBV-DNA integration, focusing on the molecular mechanisms underlying HBV-DNA integration and its occurrence throughout the different phases characterizing the natural history of HBV infection. Furthermore, here we discuss the main clinical implications of HBV integration as a biomarker of HBV-related pathogenesis, particularly in reference to hepatocarcinogenesis, and how integration may act as a barrier to the achievement of HBV cure with current and novel antiviral therapies. Overall, a more refined insight into the mechanisms and functionality of HBV integration is paramount, since it can potentially inform the design of ad hoc diagnostic tools with the ability to reveal HBV integration events perturbating relevant intracellular pathways and for identifying novel therapeutic strategies targeting alterations directly related to HBV integration.

Global burden of occult hepatitis B virus infection: where we are and what to do

Occult hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection is characterised by the persistence of replication-competent HBV DNA in the liver (with or without HBV DNA in the blood) of individuals testing negative for HBsAg, using currently available assays.1 Occult HBV infection represents a phase of the natural history of HBV infection,2 in which HBV DNA in the form of a covalently closed circular DNA minichromosome has suppressed replicative activity and gene expression with extremely low rates of virion production.

Correlation between Results of Semi-Quantitative and Quantitative Tests for Hepatitis B Virus Surface Antigen among Patients Achieving Viral Suppression with Antiviral Treatment.

Background: Hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection remains a threat to global public health. Serum hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) has been used in screening for HBV infection. Quantitative HBsAg assays are useful for monitoring the natural history of HBV infection and its response to therapy. The aim of this study was to determine the relationship between quantitative (qHBsAg; IU/mL) and semi-quantitative (sqHBsAg; signal-to-cutoff ratio [S/Co]) HBsAg titers in patients with chronic hepatitis B (CHB). Methods: We retrospectively included 284 samples with HBV DNA < 20 IU/mL from patients who had simultaneous qHBsAg (using electrochemiluminescence assay) and sqHBsAg tests. Patients were grouped according to their serum HBV-envelope antigen (HBeAg) status (HBeAg-negative, n = 239 and HBeAg-positive, n = 45). The Spearman test was used to analyze the correlation between the quantitative and semi-quantitative assays. Results: There was a significant linear correlation between sqHBsAg and qHBsAg in the HBeAg-negative patients (qHBsAg [IU/mL] = 0.0094 × sqHBsAg [S/Co]1.323; adjusted R2 = 0.8445; p < 0.001). There was a substantial hook effect in the assays from the HBeAg-positive patients, so we performed a stratified analysis according to qHBsAg <1000 IU/mL or ≥1000 IU/mL and found a significant positive linear correlation between sqHBsAg S/Co and qHBsAg (qHBsAg [IU/mL] = 0.072 × sqHBsAg [S/Co]1.331; adjusted R2 = 0.7878; p < 0.001) in HBeAg-positive patients with qHBsAg titers of <1000 IU/mL and a significant negative correlation in HBeAg-positive patients with qHBsAg titers of ≥1000 IU/mL (qHBsAg [IU/mL] = 8.987 × 1014 × sqHBsAg [S/Co]−3.175; adjusted R2 = 0.6350; p < 0.001). Conclusions: There was a highly linear, positive correlation between qHBsAg and sqHBsAg in HBeAg-negative CHB patients. The hook effect led to a negative correlation in HBeAg-positive CHB patients with qHBsAg titers ≥1000 IU/mL.

Modelling the prevalence of hepatitis B towards eliminating it as a major public health threat in China

BackgroundThe World Health Organization (WHO) requires reduction in the prevalence of hepatitis B virus (HBV) surface antigen (HBsAg) in children to 0.1% by 2030, a key indicator for eliminating viral hepatitis as a major public health threat. Whether and how China can achieve this target remains unknown, although great achievements have been made. We aimed to predict the decline of HBsAg prevalence in China and identify key developments needed to achieve the target.MethodsAn age- and time-dependent dynamic compartmental model was constructed based on the natural history of HBV infection and the national history and current status of hepatitis B control. The model was run from 2006 to 2040 to predict the decline of HBsAg prevalence under three scenarios including maintaining current interventions (status quo), status quo + peripartum antiviral prophylaxis (PAP, recommended by WHO in 2020), and scaling up current interventions + PAP.ResultsUnder the status quo, HBsAg prevalence would decrease steadily in all age groups, but the WHO’s target of 0.1% prevalence in children aged < 5 years would not be achieved until 2037. The results are robust according to sensitivity analyses. Under the status quo + PAP, the HBsAg prevalence of children aged < 5 years would significantly decrease with the introduction of PAP, and the higher the successful interruption coverage is achieved by PAP, the more significant the decline. However, even if the successful interruption coverage reaches 90% by 2030, the 0.1% prevalence target would not be met until 2031. Under the scaling up current interventions + PAP, combined with scale-up of current interventions, the WHO’s 0.1% target would be achieved on time or one year in advance if PAP is introduced and the successful interruption coverage is scaled up to 80% or 90% by 2030, respectively.ConclusionsIt is difficult for China to achieve the WHO’s target of 0.1% HBsAg prevalence in children by 2030 by maintaining current interventions. PAP may play an important role to shorten the time to achieve the target. A comprehensive scale-up of available interventions including PAP will ensure that China achieves the target on schedule.

Genotypes Variation and Molecular Epidemiology Of The Hbv Chronic Liver Infection In The Local Population Of Pakistan: An Overview Of The Recent Literature

Hepatitis is defined as an enlargement of the liver. Viral hepatitis is the word used for the group of liver ailments generated by viral infections. There are approximately 350 million people worldwide who have chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection. HBV is estimated to kill 563,000 people each year and cause a high rate of infection. The Hepatitis B DNA virus comprises of a 3.2 kb relaxed-spherical DNA molecule. Of the total eight genotypes of HBV, genotype D is the most common, with an actual incidence rate of 63.71%, followed by genotype A at 10%, according to ten distinct studies conducted in diverse parts of Pakistan. Symptoms may take up to six months to emerge after exposure. Early signs and symptoms of HBV infection are lethargy, nausea, poor appetite, vomiting, pyrexia, headache, muscle pain, joint pain, gastrointestinal disturbances, dark urine, and jaundice. Pakistan is one of the worst affected countries, with over 40 million Pakistanis infected with HBV. This article provides an overview of the epidemiology and natural history of HBV infection and its diagnosis and treatment.

Evaluating the independent influence of sexual transmission on HBV infection in China: a modeling study

BackgroundThe long-term impact of sexual transmission on the hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection in China remains unclear. This study aims to estimate the independent influence of sexual transmission on HBV infection.MethodsBased on the natural history of HBV infection and three national serosurvey data of hepatitis B in China, we developed an age- and sex-specific discrete model to describe the transmission dynamics of HBV. The initial conditions of the model were determined according to the age- and sex-specific national serosurvey data in 1992. Based on the national survey data of hepatitis B in 1992 and 2006, by using the Markov Chain Monte Carlo (MCMC) method, we estimated the age- and sex-specific seroclearance rates of hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) and the horizontal transmission rates as well as their 95% confidence intervals (CI). Then we used the age- and sex-specific national serosurvey data of hepatitis B in 2014 to test the accuracy of our model-based estimation. Finally, we evaluated the independent impact of sexual transmission on HBV infection and discussed the long-term effect of promotion of condom use in China.ResultsWe estimated that the annual rates of HBsAg seroclearance for males and females aged 1–59 years were respectively 1.04% (95% CI, 0.49–1.59%) and 1.92% (95% CI, 1.11–2.73%). Due to sexual transmission, in 2014, the total number of chronic HBV infections in people aged 0–100 years increased 292,581, of which males increased 189,200 and females increased 103,381. In 2006, the acute HBV infections due to sexual transmission accounted for 24.76% (male: 31.33%, female: 17.94%) and in 2014, which accounted for 34.59% (male: 42.93%, female: 25.73%). However, if the condom usage rate was increased by 10% annually starting in 2019, then compared with current practice, the total number of acute HBV infections from 2019 to 2035 would be reduced by 16.68% (male: 21.49%, female: 11.93%). The HBsAg prevalence in people aged 1–59 years in 2035 would be reduced to 2.01% (male: 2.40%, female: 1.58%).ConclusionsSexual transmission has become the predominant route of acute HBV infection in China, especially for men. The promotion of condom use plays a significant role in reducing the cases of acute HBV infection.

Hepatitis B Virus

Chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection is a major health burden worldwide, with approximately 257 million people with chronic infection. HBV is a small partially double-stranded DNA virus that replicates within the nucleus of the hepatocyte and commonly leads to chronic infection. Chronic HBV infection can cause cirrhosis, hepatocellular carcinoma, and extrahepatic manifestations such as glomerulonephritis or vasculitis. The latter is due to deposition of circulating immune complex in the different tissues. The natural history of HBV infection can be conceptualized as a spectrum encompassing different phases, including immune tolerance, immune clearance, inactive carrier, and reactivation and resolution. The diagnosis of the different phases of chronic HBV infection relies on various HBV serologies, liver enzyme levels, and histology findings. There are currently eight therapies approved for the treatment of HBV. Tenofovir alafenamide was the most recently approved therapy with a better side effect profile compared with tenofovir disoproxil fumarate. With the recent advances in the basic research in hepatitis B, new treatment options may become available in the near-future. This review contains 9 figures, 11 tables and 80 references Key words: cirrhosis, entecavir, Hepadnaviridae, hepatitis B virus, hepatocellular carcinoma, precore mutation, tenofovir

Hepatitis B Virus

Chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection is a major health burden worldwide, with approximately 257 million people with chronic infection. HBV is a small partially double-stranded DNA virus that replicates within the nucleus of the hepatocyte and commonly leads to chronic infection. Chronic HBV infection can cause cirrhosis, hepatocellular carcinoma, and extrahepatic manifestations such as glomerulonephritis or vasculitis. The latter is due to deposition of circulating immune complex in the different tissues. The natural history of HBV infection can be conceptualized as a spectrum encompassing different phases, including immune tolerance, immune clearance, inactive carrier, and reactivation and resolution. The diagnosis of the different phases of chronic HBV infection relies on various HBV serologies, liver enzyme levels, and histology findings. There are currently eight therapies approved for the treatment of HBV. Tenofovir alafenamide was the most recently approved therapy with a better side effect profile compared with tenofovir disoproxil fumarate. With the recent advances in the basic research in hepatitis B, new treatment options may become available in the near-future. This review contains 9 figures, 11 tables and 80 references Key words: cirrhosis, entecavir, Hepadnaviridae, hepatitis B virus, hepatocellular carcinoma, precore mutation, tenofovir

Hepatitis B Virus

Chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection is a major health burden worldwide, with approximately 257 million people with chronic infection. HBV is a small partially double-stranded DNA virus that replicates within the nucleus of the hepatocyte and commonly leads to chronic infection. Chronic HBV infection can cause cirrhosis, hepatocellular carcinoma, and extrahepatic manifestations such as glomerulonephritis or vasculitis. The latter is due to deposition of circulating immune complex in the different tissues. The natural history of HBV infection can be conceptualized as a spectrum encompassing different phases, including immune tolerance, immune clearance, inactive carrier, and reactivation and resolution. The diagnosis of the different phases of chronic HBV infection relies on various HBV serologies, liver enzyme levels, and histology findings. There are currently eight therapies approved for the treatment of HBV. Tenofovir alafenamide was the most recently approved therapy with a better side effect profile compared with tenofovir disoproxil fumarate. With the recent advances in the basic research in hepatitis B, new treatment options may become available in the near-future. This review contains 9 figures, 11 tables and 80 references Key words: cirrhosis, entecavir, Hepadnaviridae, hepatitis B virus, hepatocellular carcinoma, precore mutation, tenofovir

Hepatitis B Virus

Chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection is a major health burden worldwide, with approximately 257 million people with chronic infection. HBV is a small partially double-stranded DNA virus that replicates within the nucleus of the hepatocyte and commonly leads to chronic infection. Chronic HBV infection can cause cirrhosis, hepatocellular carcinoma, and extrahepatic manifestations such as glomerulonephritis or vasculitis. The latter is due to deposition of circulating immune complex in the different tissues. The natural history of HBV infection can be conceptualized as a spectrum encompassing different phases, including immune tolerance, immune clearance, inactive carrier, and reactivation and resolution. The diagnosis of the different phases of chronic HBV infection relies on various HBV serologies, liver enzyme levels, and histology findings. There are currently eight therapies approved for the treatment of HBV. Tenofovir alafenamide was the most recently approved therapy with a better side effect profile compared with tenofovir disoproxil fumarate. With the recent advances in the basic research in hepatitis B, new treatment options may become available in the near-future. This review contains 9 figures, 11 tables and 80 references Key words: cirrhosis, entecavir, Hepadnaviridae, hepatitis B virus, hepatocellular carcinoma, precore mutation, tenofovir

P38 mitogen-activated protein kinase impairment of innate immune cells is a characteristic feature of HBeAg-negative chronic hepatitis B.

The mitogen-activated protein kinase p38 (MAPK) is implicated in the induction of immune responses by regulating the differentiation of T lymphocytes and production of cytokines. Our aim was to investigate p38MAPK phosphorylation in different stages of the natural history of hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection. Peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) were isolated by Ficoll-Hypaque density-based centrifugation from 10 patients with HBeAg-negative chronic hepatitis B [HBeAg(-) CHB;HBV-DNA>2000IU/mL], eight patients with HBeAg-negative chronic HBV infection [HBeAg(-) CI;undetectable HBV-DNA] and 8 healthy controls (HCs). p38MAPK phosphorylation was assessed by phospho-specific flow cytometry in PBMCs and cell subsets (CD3+,CD3-,CD56+,CD56-) after stimulation with cytokines (IL-12+IL-2 and IL-12+IL-18) or nonspecific stimuli [arsenite, phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate (PMA) and ionomycin] at 0,30,60,120 and 240minutes using p38 phospho-specific conjugated antibodies. ΙFN-γ was determined by ELISA in PBMCs culture supernatants after stimulation with rhIL-2, rhIL-12 and rhIL-18, with and without pre-treatment with the p38 MAPK inhibitor, SB203580. HBeAg(-) CI patients showed the highest expression of phosphor-p38 MAPK in total PBMCs and subpopulations compared to HBeAg(-) CHB and HCs. A striking impairment in p38 phosphorylation was noted in CD56+ cells and in especially in NK cells (CD3-CD56+). SB203580-induced inhibition of p38MAPK phosphorylation was associated with suppression of IFN-γ production in all groups. The universal lack of p38 MAPK activation in CD56+ and in particular in NK cells from HBeAg(-) CHB patients during viremia suggests a potential cell-dependent implication of this pathway in the natural history of HBV infection.

Association of NTCP polymorphisms with clinical outcome of hepatitis B infection in Thai individuals

BackgroundSingle nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the sodium taurocholate co-transporting polypeptide (NTCP) have been showed to be associated with natural history of hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection. However, it is unclear whether the SNPs are related to the clinical outcome of HBV infection in Thai individuals.MethodsThe rs2296651 and rs4646287 polymorphisms of NTCP were determined by allelic discrimination using commercial TaqMan probes in blood samples of 1021 Thai individuals. These subjects included 610 patients with chronic HBV infection [CHB, 305 with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and 305 without HCC], 206 subjects with spontaneous HBV clearance and 205 healthy controls who were age and gender-matched.ResultsThe frequencies of rs2296651 A minor allele in the CHB group, the HBV clearance group and healthy controls were 7.8, 7.3 and 13.9%, respectively. For rs4646287, the frequencies of T minor allele of the corresponding groups were 10.4, 8.0 and 9.5%, respectively. Compared with healthy controls, the frequencies of rs2296651 GA + AA genotypes were significantly lower in the CHB group (P < 0.001) and in the HBV clearance group (P = 0.001). There was no difference in their distribution between the HBV clearance and CHB groups. Among the CHB group, the distribution of GA + AA genotypes in patients with HCC were significantly lower than in patients without HCC (P = 0.014). The frequencies of HBeAg positivity in patients harboring GG and GA + AA genotypes were 39.8 and 23.5%, respectively (P = 0.004). Among patients with HCC, the mean HBV DNA of the corresponding genotypes were 4.9 ± 1.3 vs. 2.7 ± 1.0 log10 IU/mL, respectively (P < 0.001). There was no difference in genotype and allele frequencies of rs4646287 polymorphism among all studied groups.ConclusionsOur results showed that rs2296651 polymorphism was associated with a decreased risk of susceptibility to HBV infection and the development of HCC. These data suggest that the NTCP polymorphism might have an influence on natural history of HBV infection in Thai individuals.This abstract was partly presented at the American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases (AASLD) Meeting 2018, November 9–13, 2018, in San Francisco, CA, USA and was published in Hepatology 2018; 68:1237A-1238A.

Immune response pattern varies with the natural history of chronic hepatitis B.

BACKGROUNDChronic hepatitis B is a highly heterogeneous disease that can be divided into four phases: Immune tolerant (IT), immune active (IA), inactive carrier (IC) and hepatitis B envelope antigen (HBeAg)-negative hepatitis (ENEG).AIMTo investigate the immune status of natural killer (NK) and T cells in different phases of chronic hepatitis B.METHODSThe frequency, phenotype and function of circulating NK cells, as well as nonantigen-specific and hepatitis B virus (HBV)-specific T cell responses were detected by flow cytometry in healthy and HBV-infected subjects.RESULTSThe ability of NK cells to produce IFN-γ was markedly attenuated in HBV-infected patients overall but was less compromised in IC patients. Patients in the IT and IA phases also displayed significantly lower TNF-α production compared to healthy subjects. NK cells were phenotypically activated in the IA and ENEG phases, as evidenced by the upregulation of NKp44 in CD56bright NK cells and CD69 in CD56dim NK cells. Furthermore, global T-cells from the ENEG phase displayed a proinflammatory cytokine profile with upregulated IFN-γ and TNF-α expression, while this profile was suppressed in IT and IA patients. Finally, core and S antigen-specific T cell responses were significantly stronger after in vitro expansion in the IC phase compared to other phases.CONCLUSIONOur findings demonstrate the changes in immune response pattern during the natural history of HBV infection. Both NK and T cells are functionally impaired in the IT and IA phases. With the spontaneous clearance of HBeAg and hepatitis B surface antigen decline, NK cell cytokine production and HBV-specific T responses are partially restored in IC phase, and the ENEG phase is dominated by nonantigen-specific T cell responses.

Cost-effectiveness analysis of hepatitis B vaccine booster in children born to HBsAg-positive mothers in rural China

ObjectiveIn rural areas of China with highly endemic for hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection, protective efficacy was observed in adulthood when a one-dose HBV vaccine booster was administered to high-risk children born to mothers who were positive for hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg). The aim of this study was to estimate the cost-effectiveness of an HBV vaccine booster in this specific group of children when given at 10 years of age. MethodsTwo potential strategies were considered: strategy 1 was a one-dose booster given if the child was negative on HBsAg screening; strategy 2 was a one-dose booster given if the child was negative on both HBsAg plus anti-HBs screening. A decision tree combined with a Markov model was developed to simulate the booster intervention process and to simulate the natural history of HBV infection in a cohort of 10-year-old children who were born to HBsAg-positive mothers. The model was calibrated based on multiple selected outcomes. Costs and quality-adjusted life years (QALYs) were measured from a societal perspective. Cost-effectiveness ratios (CERs) of the different strategies were compared in both base-case and one-way sensitivity analyses. ResultsCompared to the current practice of ‘no screening and no booster’, both strategy 1 and strategy 2 were cost-saving, with CERs estimated at US$ −6961 and US$ −6872 per QALY gained, respectively. In the one-way sensitivity analysis for strategy 1, all the CERs were found to be less than US$ −5000 per QALY gained after considering the uncertainty of all the variables, including vaccination protective efficacy, natural history, behavior, and various costs and utility weights. In a ‘worst case’ scenario (all parameter values simultaneously being at the worst), the CER of strategy 1 increased to US$ 3263 per QALY gained, which was still less than the GDP per capita of China in 2016 (US$ 8126). ConclusionsA hepatitis B vaccine booster given to children born to HBsAg-positive mothers in rural China would be cost-effective and could be considered in HBV endemic areas.

Serum Aminotransferase Flares in Pregnant and Postpartum Women With Current or Prior Treatment for Chronic Hepatitis B.

Antiviral therapy is recommended for pregnant women with chronic hepatitis B (CHB) and hepatitis B virus (HBV) DNA>200,000 IU/mL, but there is less consensus on management of women who discontinue therapy in anticipation of pregnancy or who become pregnant while on therapy. The goal of this study was to describe flares in alanine aminotransferase (ALT) during pregnancy and postpartum in CHB women with current and/or prior treatment. This was a multicenter, retrospective study of 67 pregnancies in 56 CHB women treated before and/or during pregnancy. Main outcomes were frequency, severity, and resolution of ALT flare (≥5× upper limit of normal or ≥3× baseline, whichever was higher). During pregnancy, ALT flares (95 to 1064 U/L) were observed in 16% (7/43) of women who stopped treatment before pregnancy and 31% (4/13) of women who discontinued treatment during first trimester, many of whom had high HBV DNA levels (4.9 to 8.0 log IU/mL). No flares (0/11) were observed in women who continued treatment. Postpartum ALT flares (104 to 1584 U/L) were observed in 0% (0/15) of women who were completely untreated during pregnancy, 29% (2/7) of women who discontinued treatment in first trimester, 33% (3/9) of women who stopped treatment at delivery, and 22% (4/18) of women who continued treatment postpartum. In previously treated women with CHB, ALT flares were common during pregnancy and postpartum, especially if antiviral therapy was discontinued shortly before pregnancy, during first trimester, or at delivery. Thus, these pregnant women should be monitored closely throughout pregnancy and the early postpartum period; larger studies are needed to further characterize the natural history of HBV infection during pregnancy and postpartum.

Development of Markov models for economics evaluation of strategies on hepatitis B vaccination and population-based antiviral treatment in China

Objective: To construct the Markov models to reflect the reality of prevention and treatment interventions against hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection, simulate the natural history of HBV infection in different age groups and provide evidence for the economics evaluations of hepatitis B vaccination and population-based antiviral treatment in China. Methods: According to the theory and techniques of Markov chain, the Markov models of Chinese HBV epidemic were developed based on the national data and related literature both at home and abroad, including the settings of Markov model states, allowable transitions and initial and transition probabilities. The model construction, operation and verification were conducted by using software TreeAge Pro 2015. Results: Several types of Markov models were constructed to describe the disease progression of HBV infection in neonatal period, perinatal period or adulthood, the progression of chronic hepatitis B after antiviral therapy, hepatitis B prevention and control in adults, chronic hepatitis B antiviral treatment and the natural progression of chronic hepatitis B in general population. The model for the newborn was fundamental which included ten states, i.e. susceptiblity to HBV, HBsAg clearance, immune tolerance, immune clearance, low replication, HBeAg negative CHB, compensated cirrhosis, decompensated cirrhosis, hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and death. The susceptible state to HBV was excluded in the perinatal period model, and the immune tolerance state was excluded in the adulthood model. The model for general population only included two states, survive and death. Among the 5 types of models, there were 9 initial states assigned with initial probabilities, and 27 states for transition probabilities. The results of model verifications showed that the probability curves were basically consistent with the situation of HBV epidemic in China. Conclusion: The Markov models developed can be used in economics evaluation of hepatitis B vaccination and treatment for the elimination of HBV infection in China though the structures and parameters in the model have uncertainty with dynamic natures.

Clinical Usefulness of HBsAg Quantification in Patients with Chronic Hepatitis B Infection

Context: Quantitative hepatitis B surface antigen (qHBsAg) levels have been shown to assist the management of patients with chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection and reflect the level of transcriptional activity of covalently closed circular DNA (cccDNA). It has been indicated the importance of co-operative use of qHBsAg and HBV-DNA for diagnosis and monitoring of CHB treatment. Evidence Acquisition: In order to achieve a comprehensive approach in HBsAg quantification, an extensive search was done using relevant keywords in major medical libraries to collect, categorize, and summarize data in different sections. Results: A combination of qHBsAg < 1000 IU/mL and HBV-DNA < 2000 IU/mL can identify inactive carriers. qHBsAg levels are changed during the natural history of HBV infection that progressively declines from the immune tolerance to the inactive phase. Conclusions: The use of qHBsAg in chronic hepatitis B (CHB) patients may bring about important complementary information regarding HBV DNA during treatment and help predict the treatment outcome.