Clinical features of HBsAg seroclearance in hepatitis B virus carriers in South Korea: A retrospective longitudinal study

Table 4 Comparison of the time to hepatitis B surface antigen seroclearance in each age group with the ultrasonography stage of chronic liver disease

Age group	Normal US		Non-cirrhotic CLD		Cirrhotic US
	No.	Year (mean ± SD)	No.	Year (mean ± SD)	No.	Year (mean ± SD)
< 30	2	2.29 ± 1.28	2	5.7 ± 3.47	0	-
30-40	9	5.48 ± 4.59	1	5.56	1	5.6
40-50	9	5.7 ± 4.07	16	7.2 ± 3.63	11	7.35 ± 2.86
50-60	9	5 ± 4.23	8	6.59 ± 4.3	5	7.51 ± 2.38
> 59	3	3.81 ± 1.49	7	6.91 ± 3.17	7	5.14 ± 3.42
SUM	32	5.05 ± 3.92	34	6.86 ± 3.51	24	6.8 ± 2.98

Chronic liver disease (CLD) showing coarse parenchymal texture in ultrasonography (US). The time interval to HBsAg seroclearance was significantly shorter in the carriers with normal US than in those with non-cirrhotic CLD (US-CLD) or cirrhotic US (US-LC). There was no difference in the time interval to HBsAg seroclearance between the carriers with US-CLD and those with US-LC. Age did not significantly impact the difference in the time interval to the disappearance of HBsAg: normal US vs US-CLD, P = 0.0259; normal US vs US-LC, P = 0.0366; and US-CLD vs US-LC, P = 0.4724. However, there was no significant difference among the 40s and 50s age groups according to the stage of CLD: normal US vs US-CLD, P = 0.091; normal US vs US-LC, P = 0.0678; and US-CLD vs US-LC, P = 0.3579.