抗 HBc 水平与慢性乙型肝炎患者的肝脏炎症和对聚乙二醇干扰素的反应有关
Sylvia M Brakenhoff 1 ,Robert J de Knegt 1 ,Jeffrey Oliveira 1 ,Annemiek A van der Eijk 2 ,Anneke J van Vuuren 1 ,Bettina E Hansen 3 4 ,Harry L A Janssen 3 ,Robert A de Man 1 ,André Boonstra 1 ,米兰Ĵ桑内维尔德 1
隶属关系
隶属关系
1
荷兰鹿特丹大学医学中心 Erasmus MC 胃肠病学和肝病学系。
2
荷兰鹿特丹大学医学中心 Erasmus MC 病毒科学系。
3
多伦多肝病中心,多伦多西部和综合医院,大学健康网络,加拿大多伦多。
4
加拿大多伦多大学卫生政策、管理和评估研究所。
Anti-HBc levels are associated with liver inflammation and response to peginterferon in chronic hepatitis B patients
Sylvia M Brakenhoff 1 , Robert J de Knegt 1 , Jeffrey Oliveira 1 , Annemiek A van der Eijk 2 , Anneke J van Vuuren 1 , Bettina E Hansen 3 4 , Harry L A Janssen 3 , Robert A de Man 1 , André Boonstra 1 , Milan J Sonneveld 1
Affiliations
Affiliations
1
Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Erasmus MC, University Medical Center, Rotterdam, The Netherlands.
2
Department of Viroscience, Erasmus MC, University Medical Center, Rotterdam, The Netherlands.
3
Toronto Center for Liver Disease, Toronto Western and General Hospital, University Health Network, Toronto, Canada.
4
Institute of Health Policy, Management and Evaluation, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada.
PMID: 35599306 DOI: 10.1093/infdis/jiac210
Abstract
Background: Emerging evidence suggests a pivotal role for B-cell responses in the natural history of chronic hepatitis B (CHB). Serum levels of antibodies to HBcAg (anti-HBc) vary across infection stages, but their role in predicting response to antiviral therapy is uncertain.
Methods: Anti-HBc levels were assessed before peginterferon (PEG-IFN) therapy in CHB patients who either initiated de novo PEG-IFN (n = 299; 195 HBeAg-positive), or started PEG-IFN as add-on to an existing nucleo(s)tide analogue backbone (n = 91, all HBeAg-positive). Associations were explored between anti-HBc and (1)serum biomarkers, (2)liver histology and (3)treatment response.
Results: We studied 390 patients. HBV-genotypes were A/B/C/D in 24/9/16/49%, and 72% were Caucasian. Among currently untreated HBeAg-positive patients, anti-HBc correlated with HBV DNA, HBcrAg, HBsAg and HBV RNA, but not with ALT. Higher anti-HBc was associated with more severe histological inflammatory activity (p < 0.001), irrespective of HBeAg-status. After de novo PEG-IFN, higher anti-HBc was associated with HBeAg-loss, sustained response, HBsAg-decline and HBsAg-clearance (p < 0.050). Among patients treated with add-on PEG-IFN, higher anti-HBc was associated with HBeAg-loss (p = 0.012).
Conclusions: Serum anti-HBc levels correlate with histological inflammatory activity. Higher anti-HBc levels were associated with favourable treatment outcomes. These findings suggest that anti-HBc could be used to select patients most likely to respond to immunomodulatory-therapy.
Keywords: B cell; Hepatitis B; Serum biomarkers; anti-HBc; liver inflammation.