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

• Published in: Clinical microbiology and infection Vol. 22; no. 6; pp. 571.e5 - 571.e9
• Main Authors: van Campenhout, M.J.H., Brouwer, W.P., van Oord, G.W., Xie, Q., Zhang, Q., Zhang, N., Guo, S., Tabak, F., Streinu-Cercel, A., Wang, J., Pas, S.D., Sonneveld, M.J., de Knegt, R.J., Boonstra, A., Hansen, B.E., Janssen, H.L.A.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England Elsevier Ltd 01.06.2016
• Subjects: Adult; Antiviral Agents - therapeutic use; Chronic hepatitis B infection; Drug Monitoring - methods; entecavir; Female; Guanine - analogs & derivatives; Guanine - therapeutic use; Hepatitis B Core Antigens - blood; hepatitis B core-related antigen; Hepatitis B e Antigens - blood; Hepatitis B Surface Antigens - blood; Hepatitis B, Chronic - drug therapy; Humans; Interferon-alpha - therapeutic use; Male; peginterferon-alpha 2a; Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic; serum marker; Young Adult; peginterferon-alpha 2a; Chronic hepatitis B infection; entecavir; hepatitis B core-related antigen; serum marker
• ISSN: 1198-743X; 1469-0691
• DOI: 10.1016/j.cmi.2016.02.002

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).