Journal of Viral Hepatitis最新文献

{"title":"Self-reported hepatitis B testing among noninstitutionalized adults in the United States before the implementation of universal screening, 2013–2017: A nationwide population-based study","authors":"George A. Yendewa,&nbsp;Robert A. Salata,&nbsp;Temitope Olasehinde,&nbsp;Frank Mulindwa,&nbsp;Jeffrey M. Jacobson,&nbsp;Amir M. Mohareb","doi":"10.1111/jvh.13985","DOIUrl":"10.1111/jvh.13985","url":null,"abstract":"<p>In 2023, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommended universal screening for hepatitis B virus (HBV); however, the proportion of US adults screened before implementing this recommendation is unknown. We analysed nationally representative data from the National Health Interview Survey (2013–2017) on self-reported HBV testing among noninstitutionalized US adults ≥18 years. We employed Poisson logistic regression to identify factors associated with self-reported testing, using a conceptual framework that included four overarching factors: sociodemographic characteristics, healthcare access, health-seeking behaviours and experiences, and access to internet-based health information. Among 149,628 survey respondents, the self-reported HBV testing rate was 27.2% (95% CI 26.2–28.7) and increased by 1.7% from 2013 to 2017 (<i>p</i> = .006). In adjusted analysis, health-seeking behaviours and experiences had the strongest associations of self-reported testing including a history of hepatitis (AOR 2.68, 95% CI 1.92–3.73), receipt of hepatitis B vaccination (AOR 5.11, 95% CI 4.61–5.68) and prior testing for hepatitis C (AOR 9.14, 95% CI 7.97–10.48) and HIV (AOR 2.69, 95% CI 2.44–2.97). Other factors associated with testing included being male (AOR 1.14, 95% CI 1.03–1.26), ages 30–44 years (AOR 1.37, 95% CI 1.17–1.61), 45–60 years (AOR 1.55, 95% CI 1.30–1.80) and ≥60 years (AOR 1.53, 95% CI 1.28–1.84), residence in the Western US region (AOR 1.23, 95% CI 1.06–1.43), and access to internet-based health information (AOR 1.32, 95% CI 1.18–1.47). Being Hispanic was associated with lower odds of testing (AOR 0.80, 95% CI 0.66–0.97). These findings may help guide optimal HBV screening in the universal testing era.</p>","PeriodicalId":17762,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Viral Hepatitis","volume":"31 11","pages":"657-669"},"PeriodicalIF":2.5,"publicationDate":"2024-07-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1111/jvh.13985","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141792838","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Severe acute hepatitis of unknown origin in children: Is it still a mystery? What role does adenovirus play?","authors":"Cristina Stasi,&nbsp;Martina Pacifici,&nbsp;Monia Puglia,&nbsp;Fabio Voller","doi":"10.1111/jvh.13978","DOIUrl":"10.1111/jvh.13978","url":null,"abstract":"<p>On March 31, 2022, severe acute hepatitis of unknown origin was first reported from the Royal Glasgow Children's Hospital in Scotland. According to the criteria by WHO-ECDC, a probable case of unknown acute hepatitis in children is defined as a subject under 16 years of age, who tested negative for viral hepatitis and transaminases &gt;500 U/L, starting from the 1st of October 2021. WHO invites Member States to participate in the global effort to collect anonymized clinical data on probable cases of severe acute hepatitis of unknown aetiology. As of May 26, 2021, 650 cases were already registered on the platform worldwide, of whom at least 38 cases have required liver transplants. Several hypotheses such as previous SARS-CoV-2 infection or coinfection or infection with another virus were examined and a strong association was found between adenovirus (41F) and acute hepatitis of unknown aetiology cases. This review article summarizes the global epidemiological evidences on acute hepatitis of unknown origin in children, analysing their incidence and characteristics.</p>","PeriodicalId":17762,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Viral Hepatitis","volume":"31 10","pages":"577-581"},"PeriodicalIF":2.5,"publicationDate":"2024-07-29","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141788544","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Hepatitis C epidemiology and treatment outcomes in Italy: Impact of the DAA era and the COVID-19 pandemic","authors":"Maria Paola Tramonti Fantozzi,&nbsp;Luca Ceccarelli,&nbsp;Davide Petri,&nbsp;Erica De Vita,&nbsp;Antonello Agostini,&nbsp;Piero Colombatto,&nbsp;Cristina Stasi,&nbsp;Barbara Rossetti,&nbsp;Maurizia Brunetto,&nbsp;Lidia Surace,&nbsp;Antonio Salvati,&nbsp;Alessia Calì,&nbsp;Danilo Tacconi,&nbsp;Claudia Bianco,&nbsp;David Redi,&nbsp;Massimiliano Fabbiani,&nbsp;Francesca Panza,&nbsp;Sauro Luchi,&nbsp;Sara Modica,&nbsp;Sara Moneta,&nbsp;Sarah Iacopini,&nbsp;Cesira Nencioni,&nbsp;Silvia Chigiotti,&nbsp;Giulia Ottaviano,&nbsp;Anna Linda Zignego,&nbsp;Pierluigi Blanc,&nbsp;Piera Pierotti,&nbsp;Elisa Mariabelli,&nbsp;Roberto Berni,&nbsp;Caterina Silvestri,&nbsp;Lara Tavoschi","doi":"10.1111/jvh.13983","DOIUrl":"10.1111/jvh.13983","url":null,"abstract":"<p>HCV infection poses a global health threat, with significant morbidity and mortality. This study examines HCV trends in a large Italian region from 2015 to 2022, considering demographic changes, evolving clinical profiles, treatment regimens and outcomes, including the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. This multicentre retrospective study analysed demographics, clinical histories and risk factors in 6882 HCV patients. The study spanned before and after the direct-acting antiviral (DAA) era, and the COVID-19 period, focusing on treatment outcomes (SVR12, non-SVR12 and patients lost to follow-up). Statistical methods included ANOVA, multinomial logistic regression, Kruskal–Wallis test and chi-square analysis, and were conducted adhering to the intention-to-treat (ITT) principle. The cohort, mainly Italian males (average age 58.88), showed Genotype 1 dominance (56.6%) and a high SVR12 rate (97.5%). The pandemic increased follow-up losses, yet SVR12 rates remained stable, influenced by factors like age, gender, cirrhosis and comorbidities. Despite COVID-19 challenges, the region sustained high SVR12 rates in HCV care, emphasising the importance of sustained efforts in HCV care. Continuous screening and targeted interventions in high-risk populations are crucial for achieving WHO elimination targets. The study highlights the resilience of HCV care during the pandemic and provides insights for future public health strategies.</p>","PeriodicalId":17762,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Viral Hepatitis","volume":"31 10","pages":"623-632"},"PeriodicalIF":2.5,"publicationDate":"2024-07-27","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1111/jvh.13983","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141778119","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Changes in the prevalence of hepatitis B and C viral infections in Sindh province, Pakistan: Findings from two sero-surveys in 2007 and 2019","authors":"Tesfa Sewunet Alamneh,&nbsp;Josephine G. Walker,&nbsp;Aaron G. Lim,&nbsp;Ejaz Alam,&nbsp;Saeed Hamid,&nbsp;Graham R. Foster,&nbsp;Naheed Choudhry,&nbsp;M. Azim Ansari,&nbsp;Huma Qureshi,&nbsp;Peter Vickerman","doi":"10.1111/jvh.13986","DOIUrl":"10.1111/jvh.13986","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Pakistan harbours a large burden of hepatitis B virus (HBV) and hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection. We utilised repeat sero-surveys to assess progress achieved towards hepatitis elimination in Pakistan. Multilevel logistic regression evaluated the change in HBV infection (HBV surface antigen (HBsAg)-positive) prevalence and HCV exposure (HCV antibody (HCV-Ab)-positive) prevalence between two sero-surveys from 2007 and 2019 for Sindh province and associated risk factors. Adjusted odds ratios (aORs) were estimated and population-attributable fractions (PAF) for modifiable risk factors for HCV exposure. The 2007 and 2019 surveys included 8855 and 6672 individuals. HBsAg prevalence decreased from 2.6% (95% confidence intervals (95% CI): 2.2–2.9) in 2007 to 1.1% (95% CI: 0.8–1.3) in 2019, while HCV-Ab prevalence increased from 5.1% (95% CI: 4.6%–5.5%) to 6.2% (95% CI: 5.6%–6.8%). The age and gender-adjusted HBsAg prevalence decreased by 80% (aOR = 0.2, 95% CI: 0.1–0.4) among children and 60% (aOR = 0.4, 95% CI: 0.3–0.6) among adults over 2007–2019, while HCV-Ab prevalence decreased by 60% (aOR = 0.4, 95%CI:0.2–0.7) in children and increased by 40% (aOR = 1.4, 95% CI: 1.2–1.7) in adults. HCV-Ab prevalence was lower in adults with secondary (aOR = 0.6, 95% CI: 0.5–0.8) and higher (aOR = 0.5, 95%CI:0.3–0.8) education compared to illiterates and higher among adults reporting blood transfusion (aOR = 1.7, 95% CI: 1.2–2.4), family history of hepatitis (aOR = 2.5, 95% CI: 1.9–3.3), past year medical injection (aOR = 2.1, 95% CI: 1.6–2.7), being tattooed (aOR = 1.4, 95% CI: 1.0–1.9) and shaved by traditional barber (aOR = 1.2, 95% CI: 1.0–1.5). Modifiable risk factors accounted for 45% of HCV exposure, with medical injection(s) accounting for 38% (95%CI,25.7–48.4%). Overall HCV has increased over 2007–2019 in Sindh province, while HBV prevalence has decreased. Medical injections should be an important focus of prevention activities.</p>","PeriodicalId":17762,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Viral Hepatitis","volume":"31 11","pages":"645-656"},"PeriodicalIF":2.5,"publicationDate":"2024-07-26","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1111/jvh.13986","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141759559","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"The role of treatment of hepatitis C with direct-acting antiviral agents on glycaemic control in diabetic patients: An updated systematic review and meta-analysis","authors":"Bing Chen,&nbsp;Umair Iqbal,&nbsp;Shivani K. Desai,&nbsp;Jacob Gries,&nbsp;Elijah Verheyen,&nbsp;Mengdan Xie,&nbsp;Maan El Halabi,&nbsp;Sara Gaines,&nbsp;Ilan Weisberg","doi":"10.1111/jvh.13984","DOIUrl":"10.1111/jvh.13984","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Recent studies suggested that successful clearance of chronic Hepatitis C Virus (HCV) by using direct-acting antiviral (DAA) agents could improve glycemic control in patients with diabetes; however, some studies failed to identify this benefit. We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis to assess the impact of sustained virologic response (SVR) after treatment with DAA agents on glycemic control. Embase, Scopus and PubMed were searched through March 26th, 2023, for all studies evaluating whether eradication of HCV infection with DAAs is associated with an impact on glycemic control. Only studies with data on glycemic control, including haemoglobin A₁c (HbA₁c), fasting glucose, or Homeostatic Model Assessment for Insulin Resistance (HOMA-IR), at least 12-week post-SVR were included. Sixteen studies met our eligibility criteria and were included in qualitative analysis. The mean HbA₁c was 8.05% (95% CI: 7.79%–8.31%) before treatment and 7.19% (95% CI: 6.98%–7.39%) after treatment. There was a significant mean absolute reduction in HbA1c of 0.72% (95% CI: 0.52%–0.93%) with high heterogeneity between studies (<i>I</i>² = 91.7%). The reduction in HbA1c remained significant in the subgroup analysis at 3 months follow up post SVR [0.74% (95% CI: 0.57%–0.91%)] and at least 6 months follow up [0.66% (95% CI: 0.23%–1.10%)]. We found a significant reduction in HbA₁C after SVR in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus, reflecting better glycemic control with HCV eradication. This data highlights an important extrahepatic benefit of HCV eradication.</p>","PeriodicalId":17762,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Viral Hepatitis","volume":"31 10","pages":"633-642"},"PeriodicalIF":2.5,"publicationDate":"2024-07-24","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141752000","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Modelling the potential impact of global hepatitis B vaccination on the burden of chronic hepatitis B in the United States","authors":"David W. Hutton,&nbsp;Mehlika Toy,&nbsp;Danwei Yang,&nbsp;Hanwen Zhang,&nbsp;Senad Handanagic,&nbsp;Paige A. Armstrong,&nbsp;Annemarie Wasley,&nbsp;Nicolas A. Menzies,&nbsp;Hang Pham,&nbsp;Joshua A. Salomon,&nbsp;Samuel K. So","doi":"10.1111/jvh.13982","DOIUrl":"10.1111/jvh.13982","url":null,"abstract":"<p>About 80% of persons with chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection in the United States are non-US-born. Despite improvements in infant hepatitis B vaccination globally since 2000, work remains to attain the World Health Organization's (WHO) global 2030 goal of 90% vaccination. We explore the impacts on the United States of global progress in hepatitis B vaccination since 2000 and of achieving WHO hepatitis B vaccination goals. We simulated immigrants with HBV infection arriving to the United States from 2000 to 2070 using models of the 10 countries from which the largest numbers of individuals with HBV infection were born. We estimated costs in the United States among these cohorts using a disease simulation model. We simulated three scenarios: a scenario with no progress in infant vaccination for hepatitis B since 2000 (baseline), current (2020) progress and achieving WHO 2030 goals for hepatitis B vaccination. We estimate current hepatitis B vaccination progress since the 2000 baseline in these 10 countries will lead to 468,686 fewer HBV infections, avoid 35,582 hepatitis B-related deaths and save $4.2 billion in the United States through 2070. Achieving the WHO 2030 90% hepatitis B infant vaccination targets could lead to an additional 16,762 fewer HBV infections, 989 fewer hepatitis B-related deaths and save $143 million through 2070. Global hepatitis B vaccination since 2000 reduced prevalence of HBV infection in the United States. Achieving the WHO 2030 infant vaccination goals globally could lead to over one hundred million dollars in additional savings.</p>","PeriodicalId":17762,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Viral Hepatitis","volume":"31 10","pages":"614-622"},"PeriodicalIF":2.5,"publicationDate":"2024-07-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1111/jvh.13982","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141734501","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Screening rates for hepatitis B and C among low-income US veterans: Data from the National Veteran Homeless and Other Poverty Experiences Study","authors":"Hind A. Beydoun,&nbsp;Jack Tsai","doi":"10.1111/jvh.13981","DOIUrl":"10.1111/jvh.13981","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Screening for viral hepatitis is considered a high-priority area in the Veterans Health Administration (VHA). Yet, few studies have examined viral hepatitis screening test use among low-income veterans who are considered high-risk with limited healthcare access. Using cross-sectional data from 933 participants in the 2021–2022 National Veteran Homeless and Other Poverty Experiences (NV-HOPE) study, we examined rates and correlates of lifetime screening for hepatitis B (HBV) and hepatitis C (HCV) infections. Multivariable logistic regression models evaluated characteristics associated with HBV/HCV screening. Nearly 16% and 21% reported lifetime HBV and HCV screening, respectively. These rates are considerably lower than HBV (47.3%) and HCV (92.9%) screening rates documented among contemporaneous veterans in VHA electronic health records. In the NV-HOPE data, veterans 50–79 years were more likely than those ≥80 years of age to ever-screen for HBV/HCV. Whereas, household income was inversely related to lifetime screening behaviours, veterans reporting ‘other’ employment types (vs. full-time/part-time employment) were more likely to ever-screen for HBV/HCV. Ever-screening for HBV was more likely among veterans reporting non-Hispanic ‘other’ (vs. non-Hispanic ‘white’) race, housing instability, Medicaid insurance, as well as drug use and cognitive disorder histories. Living with ≥5 members (vs. alone), histories of alcohol use, cancer, and liver disorders were also correlated with ever-screening for HCV. HIV/AIDS history correlated with ever-screening for HBV/HCV. In conclusion, fewer than one-third of low-income US veterans ever-screened for HBV/HCV, with lower screening rates among those less likely to be exposed to viral hepatitis, thereby informing interventions aimed at promoting available screening, treatment and vaccinations for HBV/HCV.</p>","PeriodicalId":17762,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Viral Hepatitis","volume":"31 10","pages":"601-613"},"PeriodicalIF":2.5,"publicationDate":"2024-07-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141563704","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Impact of COVID-19 pandemic on hepatocellular carcinoma surveillance in British Columbia, Canada: An interrupted time series study","authors":"Jean Damascene Makuza,&nbsp;Stanley Wong,&nbsp;Richard L. Morrow,&nbsp;Mawuena Binka,&nbsp;Maryam Darvishian,&nbsp;Dahn Jeong,&nbsp;Prince A. Adu,&nbsp;Georgine Cua,&nbsp;Amanda Yu,&nbsp;Hector A. Velásquez García,&nbsp;Sofia R. Bartlett,&nbsp;Eric Yoshida,&nbsp;Alnoor Ramji,&nbsp;Mel Krajden,&nbsp;Naveed Z. Janjua","doi":"10.1111/jvh.13980","DOIUrl":"10.1111/jvh.13980","url":null,"abstract":"<p>We assessed the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) surveillance among individuals with HCV diagnosed with cirrhosis in British Columbia (BC), Canada. We used data from the British Columbia Hepatitis Testers Cohort (BC-HTC), including all individuals in the province tested for or diagnosed with HCV from 1 January 1990 to 31 December 2015, to assess HCC surveillance. To analyse the impact of the pandemic on HCC surveillance, we used pre-policy (January 2018 to February 2020) and post-policy (March to December 2020) periods. We conducted interrupted time series (ITS) analysis using a segmented linear regression model and included first-order autocorrelation terms. From January 2018 to December 2020, 6546 HCC screenings were performed among 3429 individuals with HCV and cirrhosis. The ITS model showed an immediate decrease in HCC screenings in March and April 2020, with an overall level change of −71 screenings [95% confidence interval (CI): −105.9, −18.9]. We observed a significant decrease in HCC surveillance among study participants, regardless of HCV treatment status and age group, with the sharpest decrease among untreated HCV patients. A recovery of HCC surveillance followed this decline, reflected in an increasing trend of 7.8 screenings (95% CI: 0.6, 13.5) per month during the post-policy period. There was no level or trend change in the number of individuals diagnosed with HCC. We observed a sharp decline in HCC surveillance among people living with HCV and cirrhosis in BC following the COVID-19 pandemic control measures. HCC screening returned to pre-pandemic levels by mid-2020.</p>","PeriodicalId":17762,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Viral Hepatitis","volume":"31 10","pages":"592-600"},"PeriodicalIF":2.5,"publicationDate":"2024-06-24","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1111/jvh.13980","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141457800","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Regarding the predictive role of CXCL16 in liver inflammation in chronic hepatitis B patients","authors":"Juanjuan Zhang,&nbsp;Yanyan Zhang","doi":"10.1111/jvh.13976","DOIUrl":"10.1111/jvh.13976","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":17762,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Viral Hepatitis","volume":"31 9","pages":"573"},"PeriodicalIF":2.5,"publicationDate":"2024-06-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141300966","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Elevated hepatitis B virus RNA levels in HBeAg-positive patients with low-level viraemia or previous low-level viraemia","authors":"Tao Li,&nbsp;Yan Chen,&nbsp;Yushuang Zhang,&nbsp;Shuo Wu,&nbsp;Lixin Zhang,&nbsp;Lei Wang","doi":"10.1111/jvh.13957","DOIUrl":"10.1111/jvh.13957","url":null,"abstract":"<p>The understanding of viral transcription and replication activity in HBeAg-positive chronic hepatitis B (CHB) patients with low-level viraemia (LLV) or previous low-level viraemia (pre-LLV) remains unclear. Our aim was to evaluate and compare circulating hepatitis B virus (HBV) RNA levels in these patient groups with those achieving maintained virological response (MVR). This cross-sectional study included 147 patients: 43 in the LLV group, 25 in the pre-LLV group and 79 in the MVR group. Serum HBV RNA levels were assessed using specific RNA target capture combined with simultaneous amplification and testing method. Propensity score matching (PSM) was used to balance baseline characteristics between groups. Median HBV RNA levels were 6.9 copies/mL in the LLV group, 6.1 copies/mL in the pre-LLV group and 3.8 copies/mL in the MVR group. After PSM, significantly higher HBV RNA levels were observed in the LLV group compared to the MVR group (<i>p</i> &lt; .001), and the pre-LLV group also showed higher HBV RNA levels than the MVR group (<i>p</i> &lt; .001). Both LLV and pre-LLV HBeAg-positive CHB patients exhibited elevated circulating HBV RNA levels compared to those achieving MVR.</p>","PeriodicalId":17762,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Viral Hepatitis","volume":"31 8","pages":"504-507"},"PeriodicalIF":2.5,"publicationDate":"2024-06-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141296356","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}