Correlation between HBsAg Quantitation Assay, Histopathology and Viral - DNA Level in Chronic HBV Patients

Mostafa, Adel A.; El-Shewi, Mohammed E.; Abd El-Raouf, Hatem S.; Elagawy, Waleed A.; El-Rashidy, Mohammed A.; Shouman, Hala G.

doi:10.21608/aeji.2015.17848

Correlation between HBsAg Quantitation Assay, Histopathology and Viral - DNA Level in Chronic HBV Patients

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

¹ Hepatology, Gastroenterology and Infectious Diseases Department, Faculty of Medicine, Benha University ,Egypt.

² National Hepatology and Tropical Medicine Research Institute (NHTMRI), Cairo, Egypt.

³ Pathology Department, Faculty of Medicine, Tanta university, Egypt.

⁴ Hepatology Department,Mahalla Teaching Hospital, Al-Mahalla Alkoubra, Egypt.

10.21608/aeji.2015.17848

Abstract

Background and study aim : Hepatitis B is a serious and common infectious disease of the liver, affecting millions of peoplethroughout the world. In this regard, Egypt has an intermediate HBV seroprevalence. Quantitation of hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) by automated chemiluminescent micro-particle immunoassay has been proposed to be a surrogate marker. The aim of this study was to evaluate correlation between HBsAg quantitation assay, histo-pathology and viral-DNA level in chronic hepatitis BeAg negative patients.
Patients and methods: This study carried on 50 HBV-DNA positive naïve CHB patients. All the studied patients wereHBeAg negative. HBV DNA was measured by real-time polymerase chain reaction, and serum HBsAg was quantified by electrochemiluminescence assay (Roche Diagnostic). Liver biopsy done to all patients in this study for histopathological grading and staging of hepatic fibrosis by experienced pathologist using METAVER scoring.
Results: A significant correlation between serum HBsAg quantitation level and HBV DNA levels was revealed in all studied HBeAg negative patients (r =0.748, P= <0.001). A significant correlation between serum HBsAg level and fibrosis (r=0.334, P= 0.018). While, there is no significant correlation between serum HBsAg quantitation level and activity by Metaver scoring in all studied patients (P >0.05).
Conclusion: All the studied patients were tested for assess correlation between HBsAg quantitation, HBV-DNA level and histo-pathology grading and staging. There is strong positive correlation between HBsAg quantation level and HBV-DNA and between HBsAg quantation level and stages of fibrosis. No correlation between HBV DNA levels and histopathology.

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