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

Figure 5 Hepatitis B core-related antigen kinetics and regression of liver fibrosis and histological improvement. After entecavir therapy for 72 wk, regression of liver fibrosis in patients with low (A) and high (B) concentration of HBcrAg according to median baseline serum concentration of HBcrAg (6.33 log10 IU/mL, IQR: 4.80-8.18).Ishake fibrosis score decline is shown by blue, and increased is shown by red. C: ¹HBcrAg as a median logarithmic reduction of HBcrAg from baseline in patients with regression of liver fibrosis (grey box) and non-regression (black box); and D: With the histological improvement (grey box) and non-improvement (black box). ¹HBcrAg was defined as the baseline levels of HBcrAg minus week 72. Statistical significance is expressed as ^aP < 0.05, ^bP < 0.01 (P > 0.05 usually does not need to be denoted). HBcrAg: Hepatitis B core-related antigen; IQR: Interquartile range; OR: Odds rate.