慢性乙型肝炎患者肝细胞内乙型肝炎核心抗原阳性的临床意义

目的探讨CHB患者肝组织HBcAg阳性的意义。方法对200例CHB患者应用荧光聚合酶链反应（FQ-PCR）法精确定量检测血清HBV DNA含量。患者均检测血清中HBeAg含量,同时进行肝活组织检查,应用免疫组织化学技术检测HBcAg情况,并进行相关性分析。结果按测定血清HBV DNA水平,分为A组（＜3 log10拷贝/ml）20例,B组（≥3 log10拷贝/ml-＜5 log10拷贝/ml）13例,C组（≥5 log10拷贝/ml～＜6 log10拷贝/ml）24例,D组（≥6 log10拷贝/ml～＜8 log10拷贝/ml）116例,E组（≥8 log10拷贝/ml）27例。肝组织HBcAg阳性者175例,占87．5％,A组HBcAg阳性率55．0％（11/20）,B组53．8％（7/13）,C组75．0％（18/24）,D组96．6％（112/116）,E组100．0％（27/27）,HBcAg阳性率与血清HBV DNA水平之间呈显著正相关（r=0．80,P＜0．01）。血清HBV DNA水平高低与HBeAg阳性率之间呈显著正相关（r=0．47,P＜0．01）。其中20例HBV DNA阴性者中（A组）,HBeAg阳性者5例（25％）,HBcAg阳性者11例（55％）；15例HBV DNA阴性且HBeAg阴性者中有7例HBcAg阳性,占46．7％。结论CHB患者肝组织HBcAg阳性能更可靠地反映肝细胞内HBV复制状态。检测肝组织内HBcAg对CHB患者疗效评价和对治疗反应性的预测更具有临床意义。

Clinical significance of intrahepatic hepatitis B core antigen (+) in patients with chronic hepatitis B

OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to assess the clinical significance of intrahepatic hepatitis B core antigen (HBcAg) (+) in patients with chronic hepatitis B (CHB). METHODS: 200 CHB patients were prospectively studied using fluorescence quantitative PCR (FQ-PCR), combined PCR with fluorescence probe hybridization technique, to determine serum HBV DNA. Serum HBeAg was measured quantitatively. Liver biopsies were performed and immunohistochemistry stained liver slides were examined in all the cases. Correlation analyses were performed. RESULTS: Based on the HBV DNA levels, the patients were divided into 5 groups: group A (<3 log10 copies/ml) n=20, group B (>or=3 log10 copies/ml-<5 log10 copies/ml) n=13, group C (>or=5 log10 copies/ml-<6 log10 copies/ml) n=24, group D (>or=6 log10 copies/ml-<8 log10 copies/ml) n=116, and group E (>or=8 log10 copies/ml) n=27, and 87.5% of the CHB patients were intrahepatic HBcAg (+). The rate of HBcAg (+) was 55.0% (11/20) in group A, 53.8% (7/13) in group B, 75.0% (19/24) in group C, 96.6% (112/116) in group D, and 100% (27/27) in group E. A strong correlation was found between the rate of HBcAg (+) and the level of serum HBV DNA (r=0.80). This type of association also appeared between serum HBV DNA levels and HBeAg (+) (r=0.47). Of 20 CHB patients who were serum HBV DNA negative, 25% (5) were HBeAg (+), and 55% (11) were HBcAg (+), whereas 15 patients were both HBV DNA (-) and HBeAg (-), and 46.7% (7) were HBcAg (+). CONCLUSIONS: Intrahepatic HBcAg (+) in CHB patients might be more reliable in reflecting HBV replication. Determination of HBcAg (+) may have clinical significance for evaluating the efficacy of antiviral therapy and for predicting the therapeutic responses to different antiviral agents.