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Correlation between Hepatitis B surface antigen titers and HBV DNA levels
Amal Alghamdi1, Nagwa Aref1, Malak El-Hazmi2, Waleed Al-Hamoudi3, Khalid Alswat3, Ahmed Helmy4, Faisal M Sanai5, Ayman A Abdo3
1 Department of Botany and Microbiology, College of Science, King Saud University, Riyadh 11451, Saudi Arabia
2 Department of Pathology, College of Medicine, Riyadh 11461, Saudi Arabia
3 Department of Medicine, College of Medicine; Liver Disease Research Center, King Saud University, Riyadh 11461, Saudi Arabia
4 Liver Disease Research Center, King Saud University, Riyadh 11461, Saudi Arabia; Department of Tropical Medicine and Gastroenterology, Assiut University Hospitals, Assiut 71511, Egypt
5 Liver Disease Research Center, King Saud University; Department of Hepatobiliary Sciences and Liver Transplantation, King Abdul Aziz Medical City, Riyadh 11426, Saudi Arabia
Correspondence Address:
Ayman A Abdo
Division of Gastroenterology, Department of Medicine, King Saud University, P. O. Box 2925 (59), Riyadh 11461, Saudi Arabia
 Source of Support: None, Conflict of Interest: None  | Check |
DOI: 10.4103/1319-3767.121035
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Background/Aim: To assess the correlation between serum HBsAg titers and hepatitis B virus (HBV) DNA levels in patients with hepatitis B envelop antigen-negative (HBeAg −ve) HBV genotype-D (HBV/D) infection. Patients and Methods: A total of 106 treatment- naïve, HBeAg −ve HBV/D patients were included; 78 in the inactive carrier (IC) state and 28 in the active hepatitis (AH) stage. HBV DNA load and HBsAg titers were tested using TaqMan real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and automated chemiluminescent microparticle immunoassay, respectively. Results: The median (range) log10 HBsAg titer was significantly lower in the IC group compared with AH group, 3.09 (−1 to -4.4) versus 3.68 (−0.77 to 5.09) IU/mL, respectively; P < 0.001. The suggested cutoff value of HBsAg titer to differentiate between the two groups was 3.79 log10 IU/mL. In addition, there was a significant positive correlation between HBsAg and HBV DNA levels in the whole cohort, AH, and IC groups (r = 0.6, P < 0.0001; r = 0.591, P = 0.001; and r = 0.243, P = 0.032, respectively). Conclusion: Serum HBsAg titers may correlate with HBV DNA in treatment-naïve HBeAg -ve HBV/D patients, and supports the use of HBsAg levels in clinical practice as a predictor of serum HBV DNA levels. |
