On-treatment monitoring of liver fibrosis with serum hepatitis B core-related antigen in chronic hepatitis B

Table 2 Serum hepatitis B core-related antigen level and clinical characteristics, n (%)

Variables	HBcrAg-high (n = 160)	HBcrAg-low (n = 160)	P value
Age (Median, IQR) (yr)	39 (15)	44 (12)	< 0.001
Male	110 (69)	107 (67)	0.720
Platelet counts (Median, IQR) (109/L)	169 (84)	159.5 (78)	0.066
Prothrombin time (Median, IQR) (s)	12.1 (2.6)	12.0 (2.2)	0.966
Alanine transaminase (Median, IQR) (IU/L)	67 (84)	41 (48)	0.020
Aspartate aminotransferase (Median, IQR) (IU/L)	49 (48)	34 (32)	0.013
Alkaline phosphatase (Median, IQR) (U/L)	81 (33)	77 (37)	0.454
γ-glutamyltransferase (Median, IQR) (U/L)	35 (60)	33 (36)	0.135
Albumin (Median, IQR) (g/L)	42.0 (6.4)	43.0 (5.3)	0.032
Globulin (Median, IQR) (g/L)	30.6 (7.0)	29.0 (5.8)	0.003
Cholinesterase (Median, IQR) (U/L)	6438 (2265)	7133.5 (2327)	0.065
Adenosine deaminase (Median, IQR) (U/L)	16.4 (10.0)	15.2 (9.2)	0.582
Haptoglobin (Median, IQR) (g/L)	384 (515)	391.5 (486.5)	0.664
α2-Macroglobulin (Median, IQR) (μg/mL)	2200 (960)	2480 (990)	0.003
Hyaluronic acid (Median, IQR) (μg/L)	74 (66.0)	63.5 (72.0)	0.787
Propeptide of type III procollagen (Median, IQR) (μg/L)	6438 (5.0)	7 (3.0)	0.434
α-Fetoprotein (Median, IQR) (ng/mL)	5.0 (9.1)	4.7 (6.5)	0.597
Spleen thickness (Median, IQR) (mm)	35 (7.0)	35 (5.0)	0.239
Spleen length (Median, IQR) (mm)	109 (21.0)	109 (18.0)	0.410
HBVDNA (Median, IQR) (log IU/mL)	7.5 (2.0)	4.9 (1.8)	< 0.001
quantitative of HBsAg (Median, IQR) (log IU/mL)	3.9 (1.2)	3.3 (0.7)	< 0.001
Genotype
B	35 (22)	31 (19)	0.971
C	114 (71)	102 (64)
BCP/PC/C mutation
T1753C/A/G	18 (11.3)	54 (33.8)	< 0.001
T1754G	5 (3.1%)	8 (5.0)	0.602
T1758C	11 (6.9)	10 (6.3)	0.792
A1762T	92 (57.5)	124 (77.5)	0.001
G1764A	96 (60.0)	125 (78.1)	0.002
C1766T	7 (4.4)	24 (15.0)	0.006
A1846T/C	16 (10.0)	61 (38.1)	< 0.001
G1862T	5 (3.1)	10 (6.3%)	0.256
G1896A	42 (26.3)	96 (60.0)	< 0.001
G1899A	7 (4.4)	35 (21.9)	< 0.001
C1913A/G	18 (11.3)	22 (13.8)	0.577
HBeAg-positive	131 (79.9)	33 (21.2)	< 0.001
Ishak Fibrosis Score (mean ± SD)	4.2 ± 1.1	4.8 ± 1.1	< 0.001
Knodell Necroinflammation Score (mean ± SD)	6.9 ± 2.7	5.8 ± 2.9	0.001

According to the median of baseline serum hepatitis B core-related antigen (HBcrAg) level (6.33 log10 IU/mL, interquartile range: 4.80-8.18), those ≤ 6.33 log10 IU/mL as HBcrAg-low, those > 6.33 log10 IU/mL as HBcrAg-high. IQR: Interquartile range; HBcrAg: Hepatitis B core-related antigen; BCP: Basal core promoter; PC: Precore; C: Core.