The quantıfıcatıon of hepatıtıs B surface antıgen ın ınactıve carrıers and chronıc hepatıtıs B patıents: clınıcal and hıstopathologıc correlatıon

Hepatitits B surface antigen quantification (qHBsAg) is a simple, repeatable and cheap test. Especially with the HBV DNA levels, it can identify real inactive carriers and helps us to differentiate from progressive HBeAg (-) patients. In this study we investigated whether there is a relationship between quantitative HBsAg titer and patients HBV DNA levels, liver functions, liver histopathology or not in inactive carriers and CHB patient groups and whether qHBsAg can be a determinant of these parameters and can be an alternative of them. The study took place at Medical Faculty of Fırat University in between October 2013 – June 2015. Patients were selected in treatment naive people who admitted to Gastroenterology outpatient clinic. 142 inacitve, 165 chronic HBV patients were included in this study. qHBsAg levels were studied using ABBOTT ARCHITECT I 1000 SR kits, HBV DNA levels were studied in QIAGEN SYSTEM GERMANY device using QIAsymphony kits and histopathological evaluations was done with the liver biopsy. HBsAg levels in inactive HBsAg carriers were insignificant as compared to CHB patients. Among CHB patient groups, mean qHBsAg levels in HBeAg(+) patients were statistically significant as compared to antiHBe (+) and inactive HBV patients. However, when compared, there were no statistical significance in HbsAg levels between anti-Hbe(+) and inactive HBV groups. There was no relation in between HbsAg and HBV DNA levels in inactive HBV and antiHBe (+) patients. In our study, there was a weak negative relationship between qHBsAg and HBV-DNA in HBeAg(+) patients. (p: 0,015; r2: -0,388) In our study, we compared HbeAg(+) and anti-Hbe(+) groups according to HAI score. Mean HAI values in HbeAg(+) were found 8± 2,9, in anti-HBeAg(+) were found 7,2± 3,4. There was no statistical difference between two groups.(p=0.10) In our study, we compared HbeAg(+) and anti-Hbe(+) groups according to ISHAK score. Mean ISHAK values in HbeAg(+) were found 2,2± 1,2, in anti- HbeAg(+) 2±1. There was no statistical difference between two groups. As a result, according to this study's data, by using HBsAg quantification it is not possible to predict clinical and histopathological relationship between inacitve carriers and chronic hepatitis B patients. In order to prove promising properties of quantitative HBsAg, large population, prospecitve and long term follow up studies are needed. Key words: qHBsAg, HBV DNA, necroinflammation, fibrosis