Alanine aminotransferase is more sensitive to the decrease in hepatitis B virus‐DNA load than other liver markers in chronic hepatitis B patients

• Published in: Journal of clinical laboratory analysis Vol. 31; no. 6
• Main Authors: Wang, Hua‐Bin, Wang, Qiong‐Yu, Yuan, Qing, Shan, Xiao‐Yun, Fu, Guan‐Hua
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States John Wiley & Sons, Inc 01.11.2017; John Wiley and Sons Inc
• Subjects: Adolescent; Adult; Aged; Alanine; Alanine transaminase; Alanine Transaminase - blood; Aspartate aminotransferase; Biomarkers - blood; CHB patients; Cohort Studies; Deoxyribonucleic acid; DNA; DNA, Viral - blood; Female; g-Glutamyltransferase; HBV‐DNA load; Hepatitis; Hepatitis B; Hepatitis B virus; Hepatitis B, Chronic - blood; Hepatitis B, Chronic - epidemiology; Hepatitis B, Chronic - virology; Humans; Interferon; Liver; Liver - metabolism; Liver - virology; liver markers; Male; Middle Aged; ROC Curve; Viral Load - statistics & numerical data; Young Adult; CHB patients; HBV-DNA load; liver markers
• ISSN: 0887-8013; 1098-2825
• DOI: 10.1002/jcla.22141

Background A direct correlation between hepatitis B virus DNA (HBV‐DNA) and liver markers has not been identified in chronic hepatitis B (CHB) patients. However, the effect of HBV‐DNA changes on liver markers remains unclear. We explored the association between decreased HBV‐DNA and liver makers in CHB patients. Methods Chronic hepatitis B patients who visited Jinhua Central Hospital twice were selected for analysis. Finally, 171 participants with a 1‐log reduction in HBV‐DNA between the two visits were enrolled as the case group, and 158 participants with no significant changes in HBV‐DNA were enrolled as the control group. Results There was no significant correlation between HBV‐DNA and liver markers (P>.05). However, in longitudinal analysis, alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), and gamma‐glutamyl transpeptidase (GGT) were significantly different between the two tests (P<.05) in the case group. Conversely, there was no significant difference in the control group. When HBV‐DNA decreased >26 times, ALT was reduced by half or more. A similar trend was observed with a decrease of >63 times for AST and a decrease of >76 times for GGT. Conclusions A large change in HBV‐DNA can lead to a significant variation in liver markers. In particular, ALT was more sensitive than other liver markers to a reduction in HBV‐DNA.