958. Quantitative HBsAg Titer Correlates Well with HBV DNA Level in Chronic Hepatitis B Patients

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958. Quantitative HBsAg Titer Correlates Well with HBV DNA Level in Chronic

Hepatitis B Patients

T. Su; C. Hsu; C. Liu; Y. Huang; C. Liu; P. Chen; J. Kao; D. Chen

Background and Aims:

Serum HBV DNA level remains an important diagnostic and monitoring tool for

patients with chronic HBV infection; however, this assay is expensive and cannot

be widely used in clinical practice. We thus studied the correlation between

quantitative HBsAg titer and HBV DNA level in chronic hepatitis B patients and

the role of quantitative HBsAg in monitoring those with different anti-HBV

treatments.

Methods:

A total of 209 chronic hepatitis B patients without previous anti-HBV treatment

were enrolled as treatment-naïve group. Serum HBsAg was quantified by a

commercial kit (ARCHITECT, Abbott laboratories, Illinois, USA), and HBV DNA by a

real-time PCR method with the sensitivity of 20 IU/mL. Another cohort of 107

chronic hepatitis B patients who had received various antiviral treatments

(lamivudine, adefovir, entecavir, pegylated-interferon immunotherapy or in

combination) were enrolled as treatment group. HBsAg and HBV DNA levels were

quantified at baseline and two occasions during anti-HBV therapy.

Results:

In treatment-naïve group, a Pearson correlation coefficient of 0.59 (p< 50 years

and genotype C infection had higher correlation coefficients of 0.60 and 0.62,

respectively (p< 50 years. Using ROC curve to determine the best cut-off value

of HBsAg for the prediction of HBV DNA level, an HBsAg titer of 314 IU/mL had

the sensitivity of 83% and specificity of 50% to predict HBV DNA level of 2,000

IU/mL. The HBsAg titer of 768 IU/mL had the sensitivity of 82% and specificity

of 60% to predict HBV DNA level of 20,000 IU/mL By using the mixed model, data

of treatment group showed a significant linear correlation between log (HBsAg)

and log (HBV DNA), regardless of the types of anti-HBV treatment: Log (HBV DNA)

= 0.49 + 1.25 Log (HBsAg) (p