Relationship between serum b2-microglobulin levels and virological breakthrough in HBeAg-negative chronic hepatitis B patients, under long-term treatment schedules including lamivudine

Table 2 Demographic, biochemical, virological and histological features at baseline, for the subgroups of patients who did (subgroup A1) and did not (subgroup A2) exhibit virological breakthrough (VB) during long-term LAM monotherapy.

	Subgroup A1 (n = 14)	Subgroup A2 (n = 11)	P
Age (yr)	41.9±12.9	43.9±5.0	0.75
ALT (IU/L)	183.6±87.7	263.9±115.8	0.09
HBV-DNA -log10 (copies/mL)	6.21±0.97	5.63±0.56	0.13
GRADE (0-18)	7.1±3.3	6.8±3.5	0.84
STAGE (0-6)	3.4±1.9	3.1±1.3	0.65
B2m (mg/dL) (baseline levels)	1775.5±304.1	1588.8±391.6	0.23
Duration of b2m elevation (mo)	3.8±3.4	7.3±2.6	0.02a
B2m elevation in 3 mo (%)	8/14 (57.1)	11/11 (100)	0.03a

ALT: alanine aminotransferase. B2m: b2-microglobilin.

^aP<0.05 vs other group.