Efficacy of a Chinese herbal formula on hepatitis B e antigen-positive chronic hepatitis B patients

Table 6 Virologic response and change in serum hepatitis B surface antigen and hepatitis B virus e antigen levels after treatment

Treatment response	Treatment (ICE) group (n = 199)	Control group (n = 196)	χ2/Z	P value
48 wk
Patients with HBsAg level decline ≥ 0.5 log10 IU/mL, n (%)	49 (24.62)	19 (9.69)	15.443	0.000
Patients with HBsAg level decline ≥ 1 log10 IU/mL, n (%)	29 (14.57)	11 (5.61)	8.712	0.003
Patients with HBsAg level decline ≥ 2 log10 IU/mL, n (%)	7 (3.52)	2 (1.02)	1.758	0.185
Patients with undetectable HBsAg (≤ 0.05 IU/mL), n (%)	0 (0.00)	0 (0.00)	0.000	1
Patients with HBeAg level decline ≥ 1 log10 S/CO), n (%)	45 (22.61)	5 (2.55)	35.947	0.000
Patients with undetectable HBeAg (≤ 1.00 S/CO), n (%)	17 (8.54)	5 (2.55)	6.740	0.009
Seroconversion rates of HBeAga, n (%)	16 (8.04)	4 (2.04)	7.394	0.007
96 wk
Patients with HBsAg level decline ≥ 0.5 log10 IU/mL, n (%)	83 (41.71)	41 (20.92)	19.817	0.000
Patients with HBsAg level decline ≥ 1 log10 IU/mL, n (%)	63 (31.66)	22 (11.22)	24.413	0.000
Patients with HBsAg level decline ≥ 2 log10 IU/mL, n (%)	17 (8.54)	1 (0.51)	7.129	0.008
Patients with undetectable HBsAg (≤ 0.05 IU/mL), n (%)	0 (0)	0 (0)	0.000	1
Patients with HBeAg level decline ≥ 1 log10 S/CO), n (%)	51 (25.63)	9 (4.59)	33.919	0.000
Patients with undetectable HBeAg (≤ 1.00 S/CO), n (%)	32 (16.08)	11 (5.61)	11.154	0.001
Seroconversion rates of HBeAga, n (%)	29 (14.57)	9 (4.46)	11.962	0.001

^aPrevious HBeAg-positive patient HBeAg ≤ 1.00 S/CO and HBeAb > 1.0 S/CO. Chi-square test. ICE: Invigorating kidney and clearing away the heat and expelling superficial evils; HBsAg: Hepatitis B surface antigen; HBeAg: Hepatitis B e antigen.