Clinical, virologic and phylogenetic features of hepatitis B infection in Iranian patients

AIM： To characterize the clinical, serologic and virologic features of hepatitis B virus （HBV） infection in Iranian patients with different stages of liver disease.
METHODS： Sixty two patients comprising of 12 inactive carriers, 30 chronic hepatitis patients, 13 patients with liver cirrhosis and 7 patients with hepatocellular carcinoma （HCC） were enrolled in the study. The HBV S, C and basal core promoter （BCP） regions were amplified and sequenced, and the clinical, serologic, phylogenetic and virologic characteristics were investigated.
RESULTS： The study group consisted of 16 HBeAgpositive and 46 HBeAg-negative patients. Anti-HBepositive patients were older and had higher levels of ALT, ASL and bilirubin compared to HBeAg-positive patients. Phylogenetic analysis revealed that all patients were infected with genotype D （mostly ayw2）. The G1896A precore （PC） mutant was detected in 58.1% patients. HBeAg-negative patients showed a higher rate of PC mutant compared to HBeAg-positive patients （2,2 = 9.682, P = 0.003）. The majority of patients with HCC were HBeAg-negative and were infected with PC mutant variants. There was no significant difference in the occurrence of BCP mutation between the two groups, while the rate of BCP plus PC mutants was higher in HBeAg-negative patients （2,2 = 4.308, P = 0.04）. In the HBV S region, the genetic variability was low, and the marked substitution was P120T/S, with a rate of 9.7% （n = 6）.
CONCLUSION： In conclusion, HBV/D is the predominant genotype in Iran, and the nucleotide variability in the BCP and PC regions may play a role in HBV disease outcome in HBeAg-negative patients.     

Preliminary report of hepatitis B virus genotype prevalence in Iran

AIM: To determine the prevalence of hepatitis B virus (HBV) genotypes in Iranian hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) carriers, chronic hepatitis B and cirrhotic patients. METHODS: A total of 109 HBsAg-positive patients were included in this study. HBV genotypes were determined by using INNO-LiPA methodology which is based on the reverse hybridization principle. RESULTS: The distribution of patients with different stages of liver disease was as follows: 95 (86.4%) chronic hepatitis, 11 (10%) liver cirrhosis, and 3 (2.7%) inactive carrier. Of the chronic hepatitis and liver cirrhosis patients, 26.4% were HBeAg-positive while 70% were HBeAg-negative. Genotype D was the only detected type found in all patients. CONCLUSION: Classifying HBV into genotypes has to be cost-effective and clinically relevant. Our study indicates that HBV genotype D prevails in the Mediterranean area, Near and Middle East, and South Asia. Continued efforts for understanding HBV genotype through international co-operation will reveal further virological differences of the genotypes and their clinical relevance.     

Baseline HBV DNA level is the most important factor associated with virologic breakthrough in chronic hepatitis B treated with lamivudine

AIM： To identify the factors associated with virologic breakthrough and to select a subgroup of patients who respond well to lamivudine without developing virologic breakthrough （VBT）.
METHODS： Of 79 patients who had received lamivudine therapy for 9-57 mo, 34 were HBeAg-positive and 45 were HBeAg-negative, 24 developed virologic breakthrough and 55 did not. Clinical and virologic factors were compared between the two groups.
RESULTS： The median duration of therapy was 25 （9-57） mo. Virologic breakthrough was defined as a 〉 1 log HBV DNA increase following initial suppression. When several factors, including gender, duration of infection, baseline HBV DNA, and baseline ALT in HBeAg-positive chronic hepatitis patients were analyzed by logistic regression, the most important predictor of virologic breakthrough was the baseline HBV DNA （r^2 = 0.12, P 〈 0.05）. When HBeAg-postitive chronic hepatitis patients were divided into two groups by a point of 6.6 log HBV DNA, the incidence of virologic breakthough between two groups was significantly different.
CONCLUSION： Lamivudine may remain an effective first line therapy for those HBeAg-positive patients with a baseline HBV DNA 〈 6.6 log10 copies/mL.     

Hepatitis B virus genotypes and hepatocellular carcinoma in Thailand

AIM: The role of hepatitis B virus (HBV) genotypes on the clinical features and prognosis of patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is currently unknown. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the distribution of HBV genotypes and their clinical relevance in Thai patients. METHODS: HBV genotypes were determined by PCR-RFLP in stored sera of 93 asymptomatic carriers, 103 patients with chronic hepatitis, 60 patients with cirrhosis and 76 patients with HCC. The clinical data were analyzed in relation to the HBV genotype. RESULTS: HBV genotypes C and B were predominant in Thailand, accounting for 73% and 21%, respectively. The distributions of genotypes B and C were similar in HCC patients compared to the other groups. Genotype C was significantly more common in HCC patients who were under 40 years old than genotype B (18% vs 0%, P= 0.03), but was significantly less common in patients older than 60 years (26% vs 56.5%, P= 0.01). The positive rate of hepatitis B e antigen (HBeAg) in patients with genotype C was significantly higher than that in patients with genotype B (71.6% vs 44.4%, P= 0.03 in chronic hepatitis; 56.8% vs 11.1%, P= 0.01 in cirrhosis). There were no differences between HCC patients with genotypes B and C regarding tumor staging by CLIP criteria and the overall median survival. Multivariate analyses showed that HBV genotype was not an independent prognostic factor of survival in HCC patients. CONCLUSION: Patients with genotype C had a higher positive rate of HBeAg and exhibited earlier progression of cirrhosis and HCC than those with genotype B. However, there were no differences in the risk of developing HCC and its prognosis between patients with these genotypes.     

Transfusion-transmitted virus in association with hepatitis A-E viral infections in various forms of liver diseases in India

AIM: To describe the prevalence of transfusion-transmitted virus (TTV) infection in association with hepatitis A-E viral infections in different forms of liver diseases in North India. METHODS: Sera from a total number of 137 patients, including 37 patients with acute viral hepatitis (AVH), 37 patients with chronic viral hepatitis (CVH), 31 patients with cirrhosis of liver and 32 patients with fulminant hepatic failure (FHF), were analyzed both for TTV-DNA and hepatitis A-E viral markers. Presence of hepatitis B virus (HBV), hepatitis C virus (HCV) and hepatitis E virus (HEV) infections was detected in different proportions in different groups. Moreover, TTV-DNA was simultaneously tested in 100 healthy blood donors also. RESULTS: None of the patients had hepatitis A virus (HAV) and hepatitis D virus (HDV) infections. Overall prevalence of TTV-DNA was detected in 27.1% cases with AVH, 18.9% cases with CVH, 48.4% cases with cirrhosis and 9.4% cases with FHF. TTV-DNA simultaneously tested in 100 healthy blood donors showed 27% positivity. On establishing a relation between TTV infection with other hepatitis viral infections, TTV demonstrated co-infection with HBV, HCV and HEV in these disease groups. Correlation of TTV with ALT level in sera did not demonstrate high ALT level in TTV-infected patients, suggesting that TTV does not cause severe liver damage. CONCLUSION: TTV infection is prevalent both in patients and healthy individuals in India. However, it does not have any significant correlation with other hepatitis viral infections, nor does it produce an evidence of severe liver damage in patients with liver diseases.     

Evaluation of liver tissue by polymerase chain reaction for hepatitis B virus in patients with negative viremia

AIM: To assess the clinical significance of Hepatitis B virus (HBV) DNA localization in the liver tissue of patients with positive HBsAg and negative viremia. METHODS: HBV virological parameters of 33 HBsAg positive chronic hepatitis patients, including seromarkers and HBV DNA amplification in both sera and liver biopsies, were evaluated. RESULTS: Ten patients had negative viremia and positive HBV DNA in their liver biopsies. Most of them had HBeAg-negative/HBeAb-positive chronic hepatitis. Their liver biochemical and histopathological profiles were different from the viremic patients. Their disease pattern was designated as "hepatitis B in situ". CONCLUSION: Hepatitis B in situ is a consequential entity which can be missed in clinical practice. It is a new clinical pattern of chronic HBV infection that considers HBV in liver biopsy and adds a new indication for antiviral therapy.     

Hepatitis B virus genotypes and lamivudine resistance mutations in Jordan

AIM：To investigate and identify prevalent hepatitis B virus（HBV） genotypes and to explore lamivudine-resistant mutations among treated and untreated patients in Jordan.METHODS：A total of 107 cases with chronic hepatitis B were recruited from different medical centers in Jordan.Serological tests were preformed for all cases using a microparticle enzyme immunoassay.HBV Genotyping was performed for 70 cases using Line probe genotyping assay.The YMDD mutations were explored for 20 cases（4 were lamivudine naive） using the INNO-LiPA HBV DR assay.RESULTS：Genotype D was the only detected genotype.A total of 6 YMDD mutations were detected in 5 treated patients（31%） while one mutation was detected in the naive patients.Seventeen percent of cases were positive for HBeAg and had statistically significant higher levels of serum aminotransferases.CONCLUSION：HBV genotype D appears to be the only circulating type in Jordanian patients.The YMDD mutations were detected in 31% of lamivudine-treated cases with similar patterns to those found in the literature.We also found a relatively low prevalence of HBeAg expression among examined cases（17%）.Awareness of these serologic,genotypic and resistance patterns might help in the formulation of management plans and for predicting clinical outcomes.Further larger scale studies are needed to confirm our results and to examine possible associations among clinical,serologic,and genetic patterns of HBV infections in Jordan.     

Mix-infections with different genotypes of HCV and with HCV plus other hepatitis viruses in patients with hepatitis C in China

AIM: Clinical therapy and prognosis in HCV infections are not good, and mix-infections with different HCV genotypes or quasispecies and mix-infections with HCV plus other hepatitis viruses are important concerns worldwide. The present report describes the sequence diversity and genotying of the 5‘NCR of HCV isolates from hepatitis patients mix-infected with different HCV genotypes or variants, and the conditions of mix-infections with HCV plus other hepatitis viruses, providing important diagnostic and prognostic information for more effective treatment of HCV infections.METHODS: The 5‘ non-coding region (5‘NCR) of HCV was isolated from the patients sera and sequenced, and sequence variability and genotypes of HCV were defined by nucleotide sequence alignment and phylogenetic analysis, and the patients mix-infected with HCV plus other hepatitis viruses were analyzed. The conditions and clinical significance of mix-infections with HCV plus other hepatitis viruses were further studied.RESULTS: Twenty-four out of 43 patients with chronic hepatitis C were defined as mix-infected with different genotypes of HCV. Among these 24 patients, 9 were mixinfected with genotype 1 and 3, 7 with different variants of genotype 1, 2 with different variants of genotype 2, 6with different variants of genotype 3. No patients were found mix-infected with genotype 1 and 2 or with genotype 2 and 3. The clinical virological analysis of 60 patients mixinfected with HCV plus other hepatitis viruses showed that 45.0% of the patients were mix-infected with HCV plus HAV, 61.7% with HCV plus HBV, 6.7% with HCV plus HDV/HBV, 8.4% with HCV plus HEV, 3.3% with HCV plus HGV. Infections with HCV plus other hepatitis viruses may exacerbate the pathological lesion of the liver.CONCLUSION: The findings in the present study imply that mix-infections with different HCV genotypes and mixinfections with HCV plus other hepatitis viruses werer elatively high in Yunnan, China, providing important diagnostic and prognostic information for more effective treatment of HCV infections.     

Influence of chronic HBV infection on superimposed acute hepatitis E

AIM:To investigate the influence of chronic hepatitis B virus(HBV)infection[based on the status of hepatitis B e antigen(HBeAg),HBV DNA,and cirrhosis]on superimposed acute hepatitis E.METHODS:A total of 294 patients were recruited from the Department of Infectious Diseases of the Third Affiliated Hospital,Sun Yat-sen University,from January 2003 to January 2012.The patients were classified into two groups:an HBV+hepatitis E virus(HEV)group(a group with chronic HBV infection that was superinfected with acute hepatitis E,n=118)and an HEV group(a group with acute hepatitis E,n=176).We retrospectively analyzed and compared the clinical features of the two groups.Statistical analyses were performed using theχ2test or Fisher’s exact test for categorical variables and the Student’s t test forcontinuous variables.A P value<0.05 was considered statistically significant.RESULTS:The peak values of prothrombin time,serum total bilirubin,and Model for End-Stage Liver Disease scores were significantly higher in the HBV+HEV group.More patients in the HBV+HEV group had complications(39.8%vs 16.5%,P=0.000)and developed liver failure(35.6%vs 8.5%,P=0.000).Additionally,the mortality of the HBV+HEV group was significantly higher(20.3%vs 7.4%,P=0.002).Further analysis of the HBV+HEV group showed that there were no significant differences in complication occurrence,liver failure incidence,or mortality between patients with different HBeAg and HBV DNA statuses.However,in patients with underlying cirrhosis,complication occurrence and liver failure incidence significantly increased.In total,12.7%of the patients in the HBV+HEV group received anti-HBV treatment,but this therapy failed to reduce mortality in patients who developed liver failure.CONCLUSION:The presence of underlying cirrhosis in chronic HBV infection results in more severe clinical outcomes with superimposed acute hepatitis E.AntiHBV treatment cannot improve the prognosis of liver failure caused by HBV-HEV superinfection.     

Clinical presentation and genotype of hepatitis delta in Karachi

AIM: To assess the clinical presentation and genotypes of delta hepatitis in local population. METHODS: In this prospective study, 39 consecutive patients who were positive for HBsAg and hepatitis D virus (HDV) antibody were included. The patients were divided in two groups on the basis of presence or absence of HDV RNA and a comparative study was done. Genotype of HDV was determined in PCR positive patients. RESULTS: Overall there is male dominance, in which 34 patients out of 39 (87.2%) were male. Twenty (51%) patients were from the adjacent areas of three provinces; Sindh, Punjab and Balochistan indicating the higher prevalence of delta hepatitis in this mid region of Pakistan. Patients of all age groups were affected with delta hepatitis (median 31.5 years, range 12-75). HDV RNA was detectable in 23 patients (59%). All the HDV strains belonged to genotypeⅠ. HBV DNA was detectable only in 3 cases who were also HBeAg and HDV RNA positive. Patients with detectable HDV RNA were younger than patients with undetectable RNA; mean age 29.7 ± 12.8 years vs 36.8 ± 15.2. There were no statistically significant differences in the clinical presentation and routine biochemical profile of patients with detectable or undetectable HDV RNA. Clinical cirrhosis was present in 19 (49%) patients; 12 with detectable RNA and 7 with undetectable HDV RNA (P = 0.748). Decompensated disease was seen in eight patients; five and three respectively from each group. Four patients with undetectable RNA and two patients with detectable RNA had normal ALT and ultrasound abdomen. CONCLUSION: HDV may infect at any age, usuallyyoung adult males. GenotypeⅠ is prevalent. With time some of the patients become HDV RNA negative or asymptomatic carrier. Most of the patients have suppressed HBV DNA replication. Significant numbers of patients have cirrhosis.     

Profile of hepatitis B e antigen-negative chronic hepatitis B.

BACKGROUND: Although chronic hepatitis B occurs in hepatitis B e antigen (HBeAg)-negative patients, its prevalence and clinical significance are not known. AIM: To determine the prevalence and profile of HBeAg-negative chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection. METHODS: A retrospective analysis of 363 consecutive patients (mean age 36 y; 288 men) with chronic HBV infection was performed. All patients were HBsAg-positive. Tests for liver profile, HBeAg and anti-HBe antibody were performed in all patients. Serum HBV DNA was tested using branched DNA assay in 245 patients. The patients were classified into three groups: no cirrhosis with normal ALT levels, no cirrhosis with elevated ALT levels, and clinical or histological evidence of cirrhosis. RESULTS: Of 363 patients, 141 (39%) were HBeAg-positive and 222 (61%) HBeAg-negative. Of HBeAg-negative patients, 120 (54%) had normal ALT, 45 (20%) had elevated ALT and 57 (26%) had evidence of cirrhosis; corresponding figures in the HBeAg-positive patients were 40 (28%), 66 (47%) and 35 (25%). HBV DNA was positive in 53 of 131 (40%) HBeAg-negative patients tested; of these 53 patients, 9 (17%) had normal ALT, 20 (38%) had elevated ALT and 24 (45%) had cirrhosis. Thus, 72% of HBeAg-positive and 46% of HBeAg-negative patients had elevated ALT and/or cirrhosis. Among the latter group, 83% of HBV DNA-positive patients had elevated ALT and/or cirrhosis. Overall, 18% of HBsAg-positive patients had HBeAg-negative, HBV DNA-positive liver disease. CONCLUSION: HBeAg-negative chronic hepatitis B is not an uncommon and benign entity and chronic liver disease develops in a significant proportion of such patients.     

α干扰素对慢性乙型肝炎e抗原阴性患者的疗效及影响因素

目的 了解α干扰素(1FN - α)对慢性乙型肝炎e抗原(HBeAg)阴性患者的疗效及影响因素。 方法 65例HBeAg阴性经肝穿刺活检证实的慢性乙型肝炎(CHB)患者,给予r1FN α 1b治疗,每次5 MU,每周3次。治疗结束后随访至少12个月。以188例HBeAg阳性CHB患者作对照。 结果 HBeAg阴性组治疗未时联合应答(CR)率为58.5％(38/65),与对照组差异无显著性;随访12个月时CR率为75.4％(49/65),高于对照组(X2=4.796,P<0.05)。治疗后12个月内复发率为15,8％(6/38),与对照组差异无显著性。终点疗程中位数为6个月,与对照组差异无显著性。多变量(?)分类Logistic回归分析结果显示,性别、年龄、肝组织炎症活动度、肝组织纤维化程度、丙氨酸氨基转移酶、天冬氨酸氨基转移酶 HBV DNA水平、抗-HBe诸因素中仅肝组织炎症活动度为疗效影响因素。 结论 1FN α对HBeAg阴性CHB患者近期疗效和持续效就与HBcAg阳性都相仿;肝组织炎症活动度高者疗效较佳。     

40岁以上HBeAg阳性和阴性慢性乙型肝炎病毒感染者的临床特点比较

目的探讨40岁以上HBeAg阳性和HBeAg阴性慢性HBV感染者的临床特点。方法收集40岁以上慢性HBV感染者共186例,其中HBeAg阳性组93例,HBeAg阴性组93例。结果 40岁以上HBeAg阳性慢性HBV感染者男性为多(76.34%),并且多有乙型肝炎家族聚集现象(78.49%);40岁以上HBeAg阳性慢性HBV感染者的HBV DNA水平与ALT水平均高于HBeAg阴性慢性HBV感染者;40岁以上乙型肝炎肝硬化患者中,HBeAg阳性者占少数;40岁以上乙型肝炎肝硬化失代偿期患者中,HBeAg阳性者多合并腹水形成,而HBeAg阴性者既可见腹水形成,又可见上消化道出血。结论 40岁以上HBeAg阳性慢性HBV感染者多见于男性,多具有家族聚集现象,HBeAg阳性肝硬化患者所占比率较低,但HBV DNA水平较高,肝脏的炎症活动明显,病情进展可能较快。     

Circulating IL-2, IL-10 and TNF-alpha in chronic hepatitis B: their relations to HBeAg status and the activity of liver disease

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Preferential production of immunoregulatory cytokines may play an important role in the pathogenesis of chronic hepatitis B. We aimed to determine the serum levels of IL-2, IL-10 and TNF-alpha in patients with chronic hepatitis B and to correlate these findings with the activity of liver disease, HBeAg/anti-HBe status and replication level of the virus. METHODOLOGY: Seventy-two chronic hepatitis B patients were categorized into 4 groups according to activity of liver disease and HBeAg status. Group 1 (n = 13): HBeAg and HBV DNA-positive with persistently normal ALT. Group 2 (n = 20): HBeAg and HBV DNA-positive patients with persistently elevated ALT. Group 3 (n = 19): HBeAg and HBV DNA-negative patients with persistently normal ALT. Group 4 (n = 20): HBeAg-negative patients with persistently elevated ALT and variable serum HBV DNA. IL-2, IL-10 and TNFa levels were determined in stored patient sera. RESULTS: Apart from group 1 patients, all patients groups had higher IL-2 levels compared to controls suggesting that IL-2 production is increased when liver disease becomes active in HBeAg-positive phase of HBV infection. Only group 2 patients had elevated IL-10 levels compared to controls. None of the HBeAg-negative patients had detectable TNF-alpha levels while 64% HBeAg-positive patients had elevated levels of TNF-alpha irrespective of the activity of liver disease. Except TNF-alpha, no association was found between HBV DNA status and the presence or absence of detectable cytokines in circulation. CONCLUSIONS: Our results suggest that circulating cytokine profile in chronic hepatitis B is related with the HBeAg status, replication level of the virus and the activity of liver disease.     

Characteristics of patients with chronic hepatitis B in France: predominant frequency of HBe antigen negative cases

BACKGROUND/AIMS: An increasing prevalence of HBe antigen (HBeAg) negative chronic hepatitis B has been recently reported in many countries. The aim of this study was to analyze the frequency and the characteristics of HBeAg-negative as compared with HBeAg-positive chronic hepatitis B in France. METHODS: Eight hundred and sixty-five patients with histologically proven chronic hepatitis B seen in 26 University centers were included. The proportion with HBeAg-negative chronic hepatitis B was 72% and higher in patients born in Africa, Middle East, Eastern, and Southern Europe than in those of French or Asian origin. HBeAg-negative patients were significantly older (p<0.001) and had lower ALT levels and HBV DNA serum levels (p<0.01) than HBeAg-positive patients. An unknown source of infection was more prevalent in HBeAg-negative patients (p<0.05). Fibrosis score (p<0.05) and proportion of cirrhosis (p<0.01) were significantly higher in HBeAg-negative patients. Age older than 50 years, male gender and viral load lower than 5 logs10 copies/mL were independently associated with cirrhosis. RESULTS: HBeAg-negative chronic hepatitis B is predominant in France. This observation is important for an optimized clinical management and future therapeutic trials in chronic hepatitis B.     

HBeAg阴性与阳性慢性乙型肝炎患者的临床病理比较研究

目的探讨HBeAg阴性和HBeAg阳性慢性乙型肝炎患者的临床病理学差异。方法选择2008年01-05月在北京佑安医院住院并作活体肝组织穿刺病理学诊断（肝穿）且诊断为慢性乙型肝炎的患者157例,其中HBeAg（＋）组87例,HBeAg（-）组50例,对2组间的血清学指标及肝穿病理结果进行对比分析。结果①HBeAg（＋）组和HBeAg（-）组HBV DNA阳性率比较有统计学差异（P=0．0000）;②HBeAg（＋）组患者的ALT异常率要高于HBeAg（-）组,差异具有统计学意义（P=0．023）;⑧HBeAg（＋）组的病理炎症分级要重于HBeAg（-）组,差异具有统计学意义（P=0．0021）,但2组间纤维化程度差异无统计学意义（P〉0．05）;④HBeAg（-）组中HBV DNA（＋）组的病理炎症分级要重于HBV DNA（-）组,差异有统计学意义（P=0．007）,但2组间纤维化程度差异没有统计学意义（P〉0．05）。结论血清HBeAg阳性是判断HBV复制的良好指标。对HBeAg阴性患者应常规测定血清HBV DNA水平,筛查前C区变异。尤其应对HBeAg阴性且HBV DNA高水平的患者加以重视,结合肝穿结果综合评估病情以指导临床诊疗。     

Hepatitis B virus genotype A is more often associated with severe liver disease in northern India than is genotype D.

BACKGROUND: The clinical outcome of chronic hepatitis B may depend on hepatitis B virus (HBV) genotype. Data from India on this aspect are limited and contradictory. We studied the frequency of HBV genotypes and their clinical significance. METHODS: Stored sera from patients with chronic HBV infection were tested for HBV genotype using PCR-RFLP. Clinical data, and biochemical and serological parameters were retrieved from medical records; patients were classified as having chronic hepatitis or cirrhosis. RESULTS: Of 70 patients studied (mean age [SD] 38.4 [17.0] years; 63 men; ALT 140 [177] U/L), 32 had chronic hepatitis and 38 had cirrhosis. HBeAg was positive in 50/67 (75%), and anti-HBe in 12/66 (18%). Genotype A was the commonest (37; 53%), followed by D (32; 46%) and C (1; 1%). Patients with genotype A more often had ALT elevation exceeding 1.5 times normal (30/37 [81%] than those with genotype D (18/31 [58%]; p< 0.05). They also more often had positive HBeAg (32/37; 86%) and negative anti-HBe (33/36; 92%) than those with genotype D (18/29 [62%] and 21/29 [72%], respectively; p< 0.05 each). Of 37 patients with genotype A, 23 (62%) had cirrhosis and 14 (38%) had chronic hepatitis; of 32 patients with genotype D, 15 (47%) had cirrhosis and 17 (53%) had chronic hepatitis (p=ns). In the subgroup aged> 25 years, genotype A patients more often had cirrhosis than those with genotype D (23/28 [82%] vs 13/23 [57%]; p < 0.05). CONCLUSION: HBV genotypes A and D were the commonest in our population. Genotype A was more often associated with ALT elevation, HBeAg positivity, absence of anti-HBe and, among those aged 25 years and above, cirrhosis of liver, than was genotype D.     

e抗原阳性及阴性慢性乙型肝炎患者临床特点比较

目的 分析HBeAg阴性及阳性CHB患者临床、病毒学及病理组织学特点。方法 对417例CHB患者的临床资料、肝功能和HBV DNA进行分析,并对47例HBeAg阴性和36例HBeAg阳性患者肝脏病理组织进行分析。结果 417例CHB患者中男性286例,女性131例。HBeAg阴性患者241例,占57．8％（241／417）,平均年龄（43．7±10.8）岁,病程（16．8±8．5）年。HBeAg阳性患者176例,占42．2%（176／417）,平均年龄（37．0±11．4）岁,病程（12．3±8．1）年。HBeAg阴性患者平均年龄及病程均高于HBeAg阳性患者,差异有统计学意义（t值分别为-6．20和-5．43, P值均〈0．01）。HBeAg阴性及阳性患者组ALT分别为（37．7±32．9）U／L和（82．1±107．6） U／L,差异有统计学意义（t=5．30,P〈0．01）,两组患者的ALT分布差异也有统计学意义（x^2= 40.21,P〈0．01）。HBV DNA大于103拷贝／ml的患者,HBeAg阴性组92例,占38．2％（92／241）, HBeAg阳性组166例,占94．3%（166／176）,HBeAg阴性组低于阳性组（x^2=180．33,P〈0．01）。47例HBeAg阴性患者肝组织炎症活动度G1-G4分别为5、27、14、1例,肝组织纤维化程度S1-S4分别为10、12、5、20例;36例HBeAg阳性组G1-G4分别为5、14、15、2例,S1-s4分别为8、12、6、10例,差异均无统计学意义（x^2值分别为3．09和2．23,P值均〉0．05）。结论 应重视对HBV DNA低复制的HBeAg阴性的CHB患者的随访和治疗。