Challenges in the discontinuation of chronic hepatitis B antiviral agents

Table 5 Hepatitis B core-related antigen level and clinical application

Ref.	n (%)	End of treatment HBcrAg level (log10 U/mL)	Clinical application
Shinkai et al[98], 2006	22	< 3.4	Predictive factor for absence of the off-therapy relapse
Matsumoto et al[47], 2007	34	< 3.2	Predictive factor for absence of the off-therapy relapse
Jung et al[99], 2016	113	≤ 3.7	Virological relapse within 1 yr of NA cessation
Hsu et al[48], 2019	135	NR	Predictive factors of HBsAg loss and lower clinical relapse
Kaewdech et al[12], 2020	92	< 3	Low risk of off-therapy relapse
Papatheodoridi et al[54], 2020	57	< 2	Predictive factor of HBsAg loss, not required retreatment
Sonneveld et al[13], 2020	572	< 2	Higher risk of sustained response and HBsAg loss

ALT: Alanine aminotransferase; HBcrAg: Hepatitis B core-related antigen; HBsAg: Hepatitis B surface antigen; HBV: Hepatitis B virus; NA: Nucleos(t)ide analog; NR: Not reported.