Authors: Bhupesh Singla Anuradha Chakraborti Bal Krishan Sharma Shweta Kapil Yogesh K Chawla Sunil K Arora Ashim Das Radha K Dhiman Ajay Duseja
Publish Date: 2014/04/06
Volume: 41, Issue: 7, Pages: 4689-4696
Abstract
Hepatitis B virus HBV cccDNA levels is an absolute marker of HBV replication in the liver of HBV infected patients This study aimed to quantify the HBV cccDNA levels in sera and liver tissue samples of treatment naïve patients with chronic hepatitis B Eighty one chronic hepatitis B CHB treatment naïve patients were enrolled from January 2009 to June 2011 Total HBV DNA and HBV cccDNA levels were quantified using sensitive real time PCR assay The mean age of recruited patients was 34 ± 115 years Fifty four 667 patients were HBeAg negative Liver tissue samples were available from 2 HBeAg positive and 21 HBeAg negative CHB patients The amount of total intrahepatic HBV DNA ranged from 009 to 150892 copies/cell The median intrahepatic HBV cccDNA was 031 and 020 copies/cell in HBeAg positive and HBeAg negative cases respectively Serum HBV cccDNA was detectable in 852 HBeAg positive and 481 HBeAg negative CHB patients Median serum HBV cccDNA was 46000 and 26350 copies/mL in HBeAg positive and HBeAg negative subjects respectively There was a significant positive correlation between the levels of intrahepatic total HBV DNA and intrahepatic HBV cccDNA r = 0533 p = 0009 A positive correlation was also seen between serum HBV cccDNA levels and serum HBV DNA levels r = 0871 p 0001 It was concluded that serum HBV cccDNA could be detectable in higher proportion of HBeAg positive patients compared to HBeAg negative patients Moreover the median level of serum HBV cccDNA was significantly higher in HBeAg positive patients in contrast to HBeAg negative subjectsThe authors have no competing interests This work was funded by the Indian Council of Medical Research ICMR New Delhi India ICMR No VIR/28/2010ECDI Authors are grateful to ICMR for giving Junior Research Fellowship to Bhupesh Singla 3/1/3JRF2008/MPD dated 1/9/2008
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