Status of HBeAg in association with other baseline tests in Iraqi patients with CHB

Abstract

Chronic Hepatitis B(CHB) is a serious sequel after Hepatitis B Virus infection, although the rate of chronicity is inverse with age but it may be associated with a significant proportion of deaths related to cirrhosis and liver cancer. HBV serology and measurement of hepatocytic enzymes with viral load can predict disease prognosis and response to treatment. HBeAg refers to a high viral replication and associated with more infectivity to others. This study aimed to determine the impact of HBeAg status in chronically infected patients on various baseline tests. A total of 90 patients with CHB infection who were included in this study. Several standardized measures used for liver function tests, viral load and hepatitis B serological markers. HBeAg was negative in 81/90 (90%) patients and positive in 9/90(10%). There was significant association between HBeAg serostatus and HBV-DNA viral load (p=0.042), as more than half of the cases (55.6%) had high levels of HBV serum DNA (≥2000 IU/ml) and positive HBeAg compared to 24.7% of cases with negative HBeAg. HBeAg seroconversion was not associated with liver function tests, modes of transmission, duration of chronicity, marital status, gender and age. We concluded that HBeAg sero-negativity among the studied cases can predict the inactive or reactive phase of chronic hepatitis B, if the latter is associated with high viral loads, so that further studies are needed to find out associated precore mutants.