Clinical significance of hepatitis B e antigen level easurement during long-term lamivudine therapy in chronic hepatitis B patients with e antigen positive

Table 1 Patient characteristics at baseline and response to LAM therapy (n = 220)

Patient characteristics
Age (yr)	38.6 ± 10.2 (16-68)
Sex (M/F)	176:44
ALT (IU/L)	232 ± 108 (41-1269)
< 2 × ULN	24 (10.9%)
≥ 2- < 5 × ULN	112 (50.9%)
≥ 5- < 10 × ULN	52 (23.6%)
≥ 10 × ULN	32 (14.6%)
AST (IU/L)	145 ± 126 (35-880)
HBV DNA (ng/L)
Mean ± SD, log10	2.35 ± 1.07 (0.08-5.00)
HBeAg level (S/CO)	256 ± 161 (10.4-1858)
Response	53 (24.1%)
Breakthrough	105 (47.7%)
Non-response	62 (28.2%)

Data are expressed as mean ± SE (range) unless otherwise stated. ULN: upper limit of normal; S/CO: sample rate/cutoff rate.

Table 2 Comparative results according to changing patterns of HBeAg levels during LAM therapy

	Response	Non- response or reakthrough	Odds atio 95%CI)	Sensitivity	Specificity	PPV1	NPV2
At 6 mo			4. 8 (2.2-13.5)	83	49.7	34.4	90.2
D3	44	84
N4	9	83
D-C5	0	0
At 9 mo			11.0 (3.8-32.0)	92.5	47.9	36	95.2
D	49	87
N	4	67
D-C	0	13
At 12 mo			10.5 (3.6-30.5)	92.5	46.7	35.5	95.1
D	49	89
N	2	60
D-C	2	18

¹Positive predictive value. The proportion of patients achieving HBeAg seroconversion among those with decrescendo pattern of HBeAg levels at each time after initiation of therapy;

²Negative predictive value. The proportion of patients without HBeAg seroconversion among those with the decrescendo-crescendo and no change or fluctuating patterns during treatment;

³Decrescendo pattern. Continuously decreasing HBeAg levels by more than 90% of pretreatment values;

⁴No change or fluctuating pattern. No change or fluctuation of HBeAg levels during treatment;

⁵Decrescendo-crescendo pattern. A continuous decrease of HBeAg levels by more than 90% of pretreatment values, and then progressively increasing.