The dynamic characteristics and predictive value of hepatitis B core antibody titers in chronic hepatitis B patients treated with interferon

Abstract

Objective To observe the dynamic characteristics of hepatitis B core antibody (anti-HBc) titers in chronic hepatitis B (CHB) patients treated with interferon and to explore the predictive value of anti-HBc for response to interferon. Methods The clinical information of the patients diagnosed with CHB in Department of Infectious Diseases, the First Affiliated Hospital of Xi′an Jiaotong University from October 2011 to October 2014 were collected. HBV DNA, liver function and HBV serological markers of CHB patients were tested dynamically during and after interferon treatment. The dynamic characteristics of anti-HBc titers in patients with different virological responses were analyzed. The predictive values of anti-HBc titer for the efficacy of interferon treatment of CHB patients were analyzed by binary logistic regression. Results Of the 42 CHB patients aging(30.8±10.1) years old, 34 patients were hepatitis B e antigen (HBeAg) positive and 8 were negative. All patients completed 48-week interferon treatment and 24-week follow-up after the end of treatment. Among them, 28.6% (12/42), 26.2% (11/42) and 45.2% (19/42) of patients achieved sustained virological response (SVR), virological relapse (VR) and non-response (NR), respectively. Patients with different virological response presented various characteristics of anti-HBc titers. Compared with NR group, the anti-HBc titers at baseline and week 12 were significantly higher in SVR group (at baseline: [4.93 ± 0.30] vs [4.70 ± 0.33] lg IU/mL, t=2.147, P=0.013; at week 12: [4.83 ± 0.23] vs [4.44 ± 0.41] lg IU/mL, t=3.032, P=0.007). The anti-HBc titers in SVR group at week 12 and week 24 were significantly higher than those in VR group (at week 12: [4.83 ± 0.23] vs [4.67 ± 0.51] lg IU/mL, t=2.400, P=0.039; at week 24: [4.73 ± 0.21] vs [4.55 ± 0.50] lg IU/mL, t=2.542, P=0.039). By multivariate logistic regression analysis, the anti-HBc titer at baseline was the independent predictive factor for SVR in CHB patients treated with interferon (OR=6.000, 95%CI: 1.118 - 20.486, P=0.037). The area under receiver operating characteristics curve was 0.753 and the optimal cutoff value of anti-HBc titer for the response to interferons in CHB patients was 5.03 lg IU/mL, with positive predictive value of 64.3% and negative predictive value of 89.3%. Conclusions Dynamic pattern of anti-HBc titers is correlated with different virological responses in CHB patients treated with interferon, and the baseline anti-HBc titer is the independent predictive factor for SVR. Key words: Interferon; Hepatitis B, chronic; Anti-HBc titer