肝活检对转氨酶正常的慢性乙型肝炎感染的临床意义

目的探讨肝活检组织学对转氨酶持续正常6个月以上的慢性乙型肝炎(CHB)感染的临床意义.方法共452例乙型肝炎病毒(HBV)慢性感染患者接受快速经皮肝穿刺,全部病例血清HB-sAg均为阳性,病程超过6个月.肝组织切片由病理科医生盲法进行阅片.结果所有患者肝组织学显示肝内均有炎症、坏死存在.血清转氨酶异常组的炎症分级(G)和纤维化分期(C)均较转氨酶正常组严重(P＜0.05),但在后一组中,HBeAg阳性和阴性组中仍分别有10例(5.5%)和13例(9.1%)为G3,分别有7例(3.8%)和16例(11.1%)为S3,分别有3例(1.6%)和7例(4.9%)为S4.在转氨酶正常病例中,HBeAg阴性组纤维化程度较HBeAg阳性组严重(P＜0.05).如将HBeAg阳性组和阴性组合并统计,则在转氨酶正常者中,有14.6%的患者肝炎症坏死分级为G3,有21.4%为S3和S4.结论虽然严重肝病理改变多见于转氨酶异常的HBV慢性感染,但也有不少转氨酶正常病例肝呈现明显组织学异常.肝活检可作为判断肝病活动性、纤维化程度和抗病毒治疗的根据.在转氨酶正常的病例,如果肝炎症坏死-纤维化较严重,进行适当的处理看来是必要的.

Clinical significance of liver biopsy for chronic hepatitis B with persistently normal transaminases

Objective The histological features of chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection with persistently normal serum transaminases has not been will studied. The aim of this study was to investigate clinical significance of liver biopsy for these patients. Methods A total of 452 HBsAg positive patients and clinical course of more than six months undergone percutaneous liver biopsy. All liver biopsy specimens were assessed by experienced liver pathologists blinded to the liver biochemistry and scored according to standard criteria. Results None of patients had normal liver pathology. Patients with elevated serum transaminases had significant higher degree of hepatic necrosis inflammation grade (G) and fibrosis stage (S) compared with pateitns with normal transaminase ( P <0.05). In the latter group, G3 were seen in 10 cases (5.5%) and 13 cases (9.1%), S3 in 7(3.8%) and 16(11.1%), and S4 in 3 (1.6%) and 7(4.9%) in HbeAg positive and negative groups, respectively. Moreover, in patients with normal transaminases, HbeAg negative group had higher degree of fibrosis stage than that of HbeAg positive group ( P <0.05). Conclusion Although severe pathology was more frequent in patients with abnormal transaminase, significant hepatic pathology was found in cases with repeatedly normal trasaminases. Liver biopsy in cases of chronic HBV infection is helpful to assess accurately both the current activity of the disease and the degree of fibrosis and to estimate if antiviral therapy should be conducted. It seems necessary to treat chronic hepatitis B patients with normal transaminases but with severe hepatic necrosis inflammation and fibrosis.