Methodology-dependent performance of serum HBV RNA in predicting treatment outcomes in chronic hepatitis B patients.

Abstract

BACKGROUND:

Whether different serum HBV RNA detection assays can consistently predict treatment outcomes in patients with chronic hepatitis B remains controversial.

METHODS:

We enrolled 188 patients who had stopped nucleos(t)ide analogues (NAs) (STOP cohort-1, -2) and 78 receiving entecavir (ETV) therapy (ETV cohort) and used double-target (targeting both 5' and 3' ends of the HBV pregenome RNA [DT-RNA]) and three single-target (targeting the S-region [S-RNA], X-region [X-RNA], and poly-A tail of HBV RNA [PolyA-RNA]) assays to predict treatment outcomes.

RESULTS:

In STOP cohorts, DT-RNA, S-RNA and X-RNA at NAs cessation showed higher predictive powers for clinical relapse (time-dependent areas under the curve [AUCs] for years 1, 2, 3, and 4 ranged between 0.724 and 0.772 in cohort-1, and between 0.741 and 0.824 in cohort-2) than the PolyA-RNA (AUCs between 0.604 and 0.611 in cohort-1; and between 0.530 and 0.584 in cohort-2). The predictive power for 2-year HBeAg loss of the four targeted RNAs in the ETV cohort at 6 months were similar (AUCs, 0.848, 0.838, 0.825, and 0.801), and superior to that of the HBV DNA level at 6 months (AUC, 0.721).

CONCLUSION:

The outcome prediction performance of serum HBV RNAs is methodology-dependent. PolyA-RNA detection was not recommended to predict off-treatment relapses.

• Authors: Shi Liu, Yaobo Wu, Rui Deng, Sheng Shen, Rong Fan, Jie Peng, Wanying Li, Xieer Liang, Jinlin Hou, Jian Sun, Bin Zhou
• Journal: Antiviral research (Antiviral Res) Vol. 189 Pg. 105037 (05 2021) ISSN: 1872-9096 [Electronic] Netherlands
• PMID: 33711337 (Publication Type: Journal Article, Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't)
• Copyright: Copyright © 2021 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Chemical References

• Antiviral Agents
• DNA, Viral
• Hepatitis B Surface Antigens
• Hepatitis B e Antigens
• RNA, Viral
• entecavir
• Guanine

Topics

• Adult
• Antiviral Agents (therapeutic use)
• China
• DNA, Viral (blood)
• Female
• Guanine (analogs & derivatives, therapeutic use)
• Hepatitis B Surface Antigens (blood)
• Hepatitis B e Antigens (blood)
• Hepatitis B virus (genetics, isolation & purification, metabolism)
• Hepatitis B, Chronic (blood, drug therapy, virology)
• Humans
• Male
• Middle Aged
• Molecular Diagnostic Techniques (methods)
• Prognosis
• RNA, Viral (blood)
• Recurrence
• Retrospective Studies
• Treatment Outcome
• Viral Load (methods)
• Young Adult