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Clinical significance and evolution of hepatic HBsAg expression in HBeAg-positive patients receiving interferon therapy

  • Original Article—Liver, Pancreas, and Biliary Tract
  • Published:
Journal of Gastroenterology Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Background

Serum hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) level is important in the management of chronic hepatitis B (CHB). However, it is unclear whether serum HBsAg reflects its expression in liver and the hepatic HBsAg evolution following interferon therapy.

Methods

Forty-five HBeAg-positive CHB patients receiving interferon-based therapy within a randomized, controlled, multicenter study during 1998–1999 were included. The hepatic HBsAg expressions were categorized into cytoplasmic, inclusion, marginal and negative patterns by immunohistochemical staining. The HBsAg-positive hepatocytes were quantified by image-based cytometry and correlated to HBV serological and virological profiles for clinical implications. The evolution of hepatic HBsAg levels was analyzed among 22 patients with paired liver biopsies before and after interferon therapy, sequentially.

Results

There was a positive correlation between pretreatment serum HBsAg and hepatic HBsAg levels (r = 0.67, P < 0.0001). The hepatic HBsAg expression pattern significantly evolved from cytoplasmic/inclusion pattern to marginal/negative pattern after interferon treatment. The serum HBV-DNA, HBsAg and hepatic HBsAg levels all decreased significantly after interferon therapy. Among 36 % patients with HBeAg loss after therapy, pretreatment hepatic HBsAg levels were significantly lower compared with those without HBeAg loss. After multivariate analysis, low pretreatment hepatic HBsAg levels rather than serum HBsAg titers were associated with a higher rate of HBeAg loss (OR: 4.97, 95 % CI: 1.12–22.00, P = 0.035).

Conclusions

The serum HBsAg level positively reflects the HBsAg level in liver which evolves significantly after interferon therapy. A lower hepatic HBsAg level is associated with HBeAg loss after interferon treatment. Hepatic HBsAg may have clinical significance in CHB patients receiving interferon treatment.

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Abbreviations

HBsAg:

Hepatitis B surface antigen

CHB:

Chronic hepatitis B

EOF:

End-of-follow-up

ALT:

Alanine aminotransferase

HAI:

Histology activity index

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Acknowledgments

We thank Mr. Ju-Yi Tsai from, Cell-Bio Biotechnology Company, Taiwan for his technical support on TissueFAX Plus cytometry. We also thank the fourth Core Laboratory of the Department of Medical Research, National Taiwan University Hospital for technical assistance. This work was supported by grants from the National Taiwan University Hospital (NTUH 100-S1914), the Department of Health, and the National Science Council, Executive Yuan, Taiwan.

Conflict of interest

Jia-Horng Kao: Consultant for Abbott, Bristol-Myers Squibb, Gilead Sciences, GlaxoSmithKline, Merck Sharp & Dohme, Novartis, Omrix, Roche; on speaker’s bureau for Abbott, Roche, Bayer, Bristol-Myers Squibb, GlaxoSmithKline, Novartis; Ding-Shinn Chen: Consultant for Novartis and GlaxoSmithKline; Pei-Jer Chen: Consultant for Gilead Sciences, Novartis and Roche; All other authors declare no competing interests.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Graduate Institute of Clinical Medicine, National Taiwan University College of Medicine, 1 Chang-Te Street, Taipei, 10002, Taiwan

    Tung-Hung Su, Chun-Jen Liu, Huei-Ru Cheng, Chen-Hua Liu, Tai-Chung Tseng, Pei-Jer Chen, Ding-Shinn Chen & Jia-Horng Kao

  2. Department of Internal Medicine, National Taiwan University Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan

    Tung-Hung Su, Chun-Jen Liu, Hung-Chih Yang, Chen-Hua Liu, Pei-Jer Chen, Ding-Shinn Chen & Jia-Horng Kao

  3. Hepatitis Research Center, National Taiwan University Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan

    Tung-Hung Su, Chun-Jen Liu, Chen-Hua Liu, Pei-Jer Chen, Ding-Shinn Chen & Jia-Horng Kao

  4. Department of Microbiology, National Taiwan University College of Medicine, Taipei, Taiwan

    Hung-Chih Yang

  5. Department of Pathology, National Taiwan University Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan

    Yung-Ming Jeng

  6. Division of Gastroenterology, Department of Internal Medicine, Buddhist Tzu Chi General Hospital Taipei Branch, Taipei, Taiwan

    Tai-Chung Tseng

  7. Department of Pharmacology, National Taiwan University College of Medicine, Taipei, Taiwan

    Thai-Yen Ling

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  1. Tung-Hung Su
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Correspondence to Jia-Horng Kao.

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Su, TH., Liu, CJ., Yang, HC. et al. Clinical significance and evolution of hepatic HBsAg expression in HBeAg-positive patients receiving interferon therapy. J Gastroenterol 49, 356–362 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00535-013-0840-z

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00535-013-0840-z

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