Hepatitis B core-related antigen levels are associated with response to entecavir and peginterferon add-on therapy in hepatitis B e antigen-positive chronic hepatitis B patients

M J H van Campenhout; W P Brouwer; G W van Oord; Q Xie; Q Zhang; N Zhang; S Guo; F Tabak; A Streinu-Cercel; J Wang; S D Pas; M J Sonneveld; R J de Knegt; A Boonstra; B E Hansen; H L A Janssen

doi:10.1016/j.cmi.2016.02.002

Hepatitis B core-related antigen levels are associated with response to entecavir and peginterferon add-on therapy in hepatitis B e antigen-positive chronic hepatitis B patients

Clin Microbiol Infect. 2016 Jun;22(6):571.e5-9. doi: 10.1016/j.cmi.2016.02.002. Epub 2016 Feb 18.

Authors

M J H van Campenhout¹, W P Brouwer¹, G W van Oord¹, Q Xie², Q Zhang³, N Zhang⁴, S Guo², F Tabak⁵, A Streinu-Cercel⁶, J Wang⁴, S D Pas⁷, M J Sonneveld¹, R J de Knegt¹, A Boonstra¹, B E Hansen⁸, H L A Janssen⁹

Affiliations

¹ Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Erasmus MC University Medical Center, Rotterdam, The Netherlands.
² Infectious Diseases, Ruijin Hospital, Jiaotong University, Shanghai, China.
³ Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Shanghai Public Health Center, Fu Dan University, Shanghai, China.
⁴ Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Zhong Shan Hospital, Fu Dan University, Shanghai, China.
⁵ Cerrahpasa Medical Faculty, Istanbul, Turkey.
⁶ Carol Davila University of Medicine and Pharmacy, National Institute for Infectious Diseases "Prof. Dr Matei Balş", Bucharest, Romania.
⁷ Department of Virology, Erasmus MC University Medical Center, Rotterdam, The Netherlands.
⁸ Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Erasmus MC University Medical Center, Rotterdam, The Netherlands; Department of Public Health, Erasmus MC University Medical Center, Rotterdam, The Netherlands.
⁹ Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Erasmus MC University Medical Center, Rotterdam, The Netherlands; Toronto Center for Liver Disease, Toronto Western and General Hospital, University Health Network, Toronto, Canada. Electronic address: harry.janssen@uhn.ca.

PMID: 26898481
DOI: 10.1016/j.cmi.2016.02.002

Abstract

Hepatitis B core-related antigen (HBcrAg), a new serum marker, may be useful in monitoring chronic hepatitis B infection. HBcrAg was measured in 175 hepatitis B e antigen-positive patients treated with entecavir (ETV) with or without peginterferon (PEG-IFN) add-on therapy. Decline in HBcrAg was stronger in patients with vs. without combined response (ETV: -3.22 vs. -1.71 log U/mL, p <0.001; PEG-IFN add-on: -3.16 vs. -1.83 IU/mL, p <0.001) and in patients with vs. without hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) response (ETV: -2.60 vs. -1.74 log U/mL, p <0.001; PEG-IFN add-on: -2.38 vs. -2.15 log U/mL, p = 0.31). HBcrAg was associated with combined response (adjusted odds ratio 0.3, 95% confidence interval 0.2-0.5, p <0.001), but was not superior to quantitative HBsAg (qHBsAg).

Keywords: Chronic hepatitis B infection; entecavir; hepatitis B core-related antigen; peginterferon-alpha 2a; serum marker.

Publication types

Evaluation Study

MeSH terms

Adult
Antiviral Agents / therapeutic use*
Drug Monitoring / methods*
Female
Guanine / analogs & derivatives*
Guanine / therapeutic use
Hepatitis B Core Antigens / blood*
Hepatitis B Surface Antigens / blood*
Hepatitis B e Antigens / blood*
Hepatitis B, Chronic / drug therapy*
Humans
Interferon-alpha / therapeutic use
Male
Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic
Young Adult

Substances

Antiviral Agents
Hepatitis B Core Antigens
Hepatitis B Surface Antigens
Hepatitis B e Antigens
Interferon-alpha
entecavir
Guanine