scholarly journals Hepatic necroinflammation and severe liver fibrosis in patients with chronic hepatitis B with undetectable HBV DNA and persistently normal alanine aminotransferase

2015 ◽  
Vol 40 (3) ◽  
pp. 92-96 ◽  
Author(s):  
MM Alam ◽  
MA Mahtab ◽  
SMF Akbar ◽  
M Kamal ◽  
S Rahman

Both consensus and controversy remains regarding surrogacy of hepatitis B virus (HBV) deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) and alanine aminotransferase (ALT), however, these markers are used to ascertain the extent of liver damages and to guide therapeutic options in patients with chronic hepatitis B. However, little is known about liver histology of patients with chronic hepatitis B with undetectable HBV DNA and persistently normal ALT. Thirty-five incidentally-detected patients with chronic HBV infection (assessed by expression of hepatitis B surface antigen for more than 6 months) with undetectable HBV DNA and normal serum ALT were enrolled in this study. Liver biopsy specimens were taken from all patients and the extent of hepatic necroinflammation and liver fibrosis were evaluated. Moderate degree of hepatic necroinflammation was detected in 2 of 35 patients and severe hepatic fibrosis was seen in 6 of 35 patients. Two patients with undetectable HBV DNA and sustained normal ALT had moderate hepatic necroinflammation and severe hepatic fibrosis. In spite of undetectable HBV DNA for prolonged period and persistently normal ALT, some patients with chronic hepatitis B express evidences of progressive liver diseases. Large scale studies in different races and geographical regions should be accomplished to develop insights about management of these patients. Studies about extent of liver diseases in these patients should be accomplished in Treatment recommendation and management strategies should be developed for these patients.Bangladesh Med Res Counc Bull 2014; 40 (3): 92-96

Antioxidants ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
pp. 77
Author(s):  
Jing-Hua Wang ◽  
Sung-Bae Lee ◽  
Dong-Soo Lee ◽  
Chang-Gue Son

Oxidative stress plays a pivotal role in the progression of chronic hepatitis B; however, it is unclear whether the status of blood oxidative stress and antioxidant components differs depending on the degree of hepatic fibrosis. To explore the relationship between oxidative stress/antioxidant capacity and the extent of hepatic fibrosis, fifty-four subjects with liver fibrosis (5.5 ≤ liver stiffness measurement (LSM) score ≤ 16.0 kPa) by chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) were analyzed. From the analysis of eight kinds of serum oxidative stress/antioxidant profiles and liver fibrosis degrees, the level of total antioxidant capacity (TAC) reflected a negative correlation with the severity of hepatic fibrosis (Pearson correlation, r = −0.35, p = 0.01). Moreover, TAC showed higher sensitivity (73.91%) than the aspartate transaminase (AST) to platelet ratio index (APRI, 56.52%) in the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves. Interestingly, the TAC level finely reflected the fibrosis degree in inactive carriers (HBV DNA < 2000 IU/mL), while the APRI did in active carriers (HBV DNA > 2000 IU/mL). In conclusion, TAC is a promising biomarker for evaluating the progression of liver fibrosis in patients with HBV, and this finding may indicate the involvement of TAC-composing factors in the pathogenesis of hepatic fibrosis in chronic HBV carriers.


2011 ◽  
Vol 2011 ◽  
pp. 1-5 ◽  
Author(s):  
Raza Malik ◽  
Patrick Kennedy ◽  
Deepak Suri ◽  
Ashley Brown ◽  
Rob Goldin ◽  
...  

Background & Aims. Assess the clinical utility of the Prati criteria and normal ALT (<40 IU/L) in a cohort of patients with chronic hepatitis B infection (CHB). Methods. Serology, radiology, and histology were obtained in 140 patients with CHB. Results. HBeAg+ group: 7 patients (7/56−12% HBeAg+ group) misclassified as “immunotolerant”, with HBV DNA > 6 log copies/ml and normal ALT, who in fact had moderate/severe fibrosis on liver biopsy. HBeAg− group: 10 patients with normal ALT and moderate/severe fibrosis on liver biopsy; 4 of these patients had >3 log copies/ml HBV DNA levels and 6 patients misclassified as “inactive carriers” with negative HBV DNA levels normal ALT and moderate/severe fibrosis (6/84−7% HBeAg− group). Two male HBeAg+ and three male HBeAg- patients with ALT between 20 and 30 IU/L and moderate/severe fibrosis on liver biopsy would have been further mischaracterised using the Prati criteria for normal ALT. Age and ethnic group were more important predictors of moderate/severe fibrosis in multivariate analysis. Conclusion. HBeAg status, age, ethnic origin with longitudinal assessment of LFTs and viral load should be studied in patients with “normal ALT” at the upper end of normal range (ALT 20–40 IU/L) to appropriately classify patients and identify patients for liver fibrosis assessment to inform treatment decisions.


2013 ◽  
Vol 2013 ◽  
pp. 1-7 ◽  
Author(s):  
Xiao-Jun Zhu ◽  
Xue-Hua Sun ◽  
Zheng-Hua Zhou ◽  
Shun-Qing Liu ◽  
Hua Lv ◽  
...  

Objective. To determine the efficacy and safety of Lingmao Formula combined with entecavir for HBeAg-positive chronic hepatitis B patients with mildly elevated alanine aminotransferase (ALT).Methods. 301 patients were randomly assigned to receive Lingmao Formula combined with entecavir (treatment group) or placebo combined with entecavir (control group) for 52 weeks. The outcomes of interest included the reduction of serum HBV DNA level, HBeAg loss, HBeAg seroconversion, ALT normalization, and histological improvement.Results. The mean decrease of serum HBV DNA level from baseline and the percentage of patients who had reduction in serum HBV DNA level ≥2 lg copies/mL in treatment group were significantly greater than that in control group (5.5 versus 5.4 lg copies/mL,P=0.010; 98.5% versus 92.6%,P=0.019). The percentage of HBeAg loss in treatment group was 22.8%, which was much higher than a percentage of 12.6% in control group (P=0.038). There was no significant difference between the two groups in histological improvement. Safety was similar in the two groups.Conclusions. The combination of Lingmao Formula with entecavir could result in significant decrease of serum HBV DNA and increase of HBeAg loss for HBeAg-positive chronic hepatitis B patients with mildly elevated ALT without any serious adverse events. Clinical trial registration number isChiCTR-TRC-09000594.


Author(s):  
Yostila Derosa ◽  
Nasrul Zubir ◽  
Raveinal Arnelis

Background: Hepatitis B is acute or chronic liver inflammation caused by hepatitis B viral and can progress to hepatic chirrosis or liver cancer. Chronic hepatitis B has a high risk for liver fibrosis. Chronic inflammation and liver fibrosis are interrelated processes. This study aimed to determine the differences in T-regulator cells, Alanine Aminotransferase (ALT) and Aspartate Aminotransferase (AST) between chronic hepatitis B patients with and without liver fibrosis.Method: This study used a cross-sectional method for patients diagnosed with chronic hepatitis B in the Inpatient and Outpatient Department of the Internal Medicine Department  DR. M. Djamil Padang and other hospitals in Padang city for 6 months. Samples were selected by consecutive sampling according to inclusion and exclusion criteria. Liver fibrosis is identified by fibroscan. Data were analyzed by SPSS 21.0.Results: thirty-two patients were diagnosed with chronic hepatitis B and 50% had liver fibrosis. The levels of T-regulator cells in chronic hepatitis B patients without liver fibrosis were 2.08% and liver fibrosis 2.25%, but this difference was not statistically significant (p 0.05). Mean ALT levels in the group without fibrosis were 19 IU/L (7IU/L-71IU/L) and liver fibrosis 61 IU / L (13IU/L-625IU/L). The mean AST level in the group without fibrosis were 15.5 IU/L (10IU/L-32IU/L) and liver fibrosis 35.5 IU/L (10IU/L-476IU/L). The difference between ALT and AST in the two groups was significant (p 0.05). Hepatitis B patients with liver fibrosis had higher ALT and AST levels than without fibrosis.Conclusion: There were differences levels of T-regulator cells in the two groups, but it was not statistically significant. ALT and AST levels were higher in the liver fibrosis group and statistically significant.


2011 ◽  
Vol 83 (6) ◽  
pp. 968-973 ◽  
Author(s):  
Thomas Göbel ◽  
Andreas Erhardt ◽  
Mathias Herwig ◽  
Christopher Poremba ◽  
Stephan Ernst Baldus ◽  
...  

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