Abstract | UNLABELLED: BACKGROUND AND RATIONALE FOR THE STUDY: Hepatitis B virus (HBV) chronic infection may follow a benign course with low risk of cirrhosis or liver cancer. As differentiation of inactive status from HBeAg-negative chronic hepatitis B is often challenging, monitoring of inactive HBV carriers is important to detect viral relapse or formerly undetected activity. The incidence of hepatitis activity in HBeAg-negative carriers with normal aminotransferases was examined by retrospective analysis of a cohort of carriers who had been followed-up at a hospital in Central Brazil. All patients had remained free of evidence of liver disease and maintained normal aminotransferase levels throughout the first year of follow-up. The incidence density of chronic HBV activity was determined and an incidence curve was constructed using the Kaplan-Meier method. Cox regression models were developed to identify for surrogate markers of activity. RESULTS: Among the 224 patients who comprised the cohort, chronic HBV activity was detected in 30 during followup. The incidence density of activity was 11.8 per 100 person-years (95% confidence interval: 8.3-16.9). The results of Cox regression analysis indicated that chronic HBV activity was associated with entrance in the latter years of the period examined (p = 0.001) and initial normal aspartate aminotransferase (AST) levels close to the upper-normal value (p = 0.022). CONCLUSION: Normal AST levels near the upper-normal value may be an indicator of relapse or previously undetected activity, and should thus be monitored closely in HBeAg-negative HBV carriers, in whom risk of relapse should remain an important managing consideration.
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Authors | Flávio V Barbosa-Júnior, Rafaela de L P Sanchez-Lermen, Karina de A Vieira, Renata V de Oliveira, Francisco J D Souto |
Journal | Annals of hepatology
(Ann Hepatol)
2015 Jul-Aug
Vol. 14
Issue 4
Pg. 470-6
ISSN: 1665-2681 [Print] Mexico |
PMID | 26019033
(Publication Type: Journal Article, Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't)
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Chemical References |
- Biomarkers
- Hepatitis B e Antigens
- Aspartate Aminotransferases
- Alanine Transaminase
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Topics |
- Adult
- Aged
- Alanine Transaminase
(blood)
- Aspartate Aminotransferases
(blood)
- Biomarkers
(blood)
- Brazil
(epidemiology)
- Chi-Square Distribution
- Disease Progression
- Female
- Hepatitis B e Antigens
(blood)
- Hepatitis B, Chronic
(blood, diagnosis, drug therapy, epidemiology)
- Humans
- Incidence
- Kaplan-Meier Estimate
- Logistic Models
- Male
- Middle Aged
- Multivariate Analysis
- Predictive Value of Tests
- Proportional Hazards Models
- Recurrence
- Retrospective Studies
- Risk Factors
- Time Factors
- Young Adult
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