Serum levels of hepatitis B core antibodies and hepatitis B core-related antigen at the time of nucleos(t)ide analog cessation and risk of severe flares in patients with chronic hepatitis B.

ABSTRACT:

Background

In the nucleos(t)ide analog (NA)-control arm of the REEF-2 study (NCT04129554), virologic relapse (confirmed increase in HBV DNA >2000 IU/mL) and biochemical flare (ALT increases ≥3× upper limit of normal) were frequently observed after stopping NA treatment. We characterized the posttreatment virologic relapses and biochemical flares and assessed their association with end-of-treatment (EOT) HBV serum markers.

Methods

In REEF-2, a randomized-controlled study, virologically suppressed HBeAg-negative patients stopped treatment at week 48, followed by 48 weeks of follow-up. EOT HBV RNA, hepatitis B core-related antigen, and quantitative anti-hepatitis B core (HBc) IgG levels were assessed in 41/45 NA-control arm patients; their association with off-treatment respons

SUBMITTER: van Bommel F 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11868428 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Mar

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature