中文English
ISSN 1001-5256 (Print)
ISSN 2097-3497 (Online)
CN 22-1108/R
Volume 40 Issue 5
May  2024
Turn off MathJax
Article Contents

Serological features and liver histopathology of chronic hepatitis B patients with normal alanine aminotransferase

DOI: 10.12449/JCH240512
Research funding:

Wuxi Medical Key Discipline Construction Project-Innovation Team (CXTD2021009);

Taihu Talent Program (20200803)

More Information
  • Corresponding author: LU Zhonghua, lu_z_h@126.com (ORCID: 0000-0002-5388-8301)
  • Received Date: 2023-08-04
  • Accepted Date: 2023-10-07
  • Published Date: 2024-05-25
  •   Objective  To investigate the liver histopathological features of chronic hepatitis B (CHB) patients with normal alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and their correlation with serological markers.  Methods  Clinical data were collected from 137 patients with normal ALT who were treated in Wuxi Fifth People’s Hospital from April 2018 to June 2021, and the differences in liver histopathology and serological markers were analyzed, as well as the correlation between liver histopathology and serological markers. The chi-square test was used for comparison of categorical data between groups, and the Kruskal-Wallis H test was used for comparison of data between multiple groups. A Spearman rank correlation test was performed, and logistic regression was used to perform the multivariate analysis.  Results  In the ALT ≤20 U/L, 20‍ ‍—‍ ‍29 U/L, and 30‍ ‍—‍ ‍40 U/L groups, the patients with significant inflammatory necrosis (≥G2) accounted for 57.4%, 53.4%, and 75%, respectively, and the patients with significant fibrosis (≥S2) accounted for 63.8%, 62.1%, and 75%, respectively. There was a significant difference in the degree of inflammatory necrosis between the patients with positive or negative HBeAg, the patients with different levels of serum HBV DNA, and the patients with different levels of serum HBV RNA (χ2=10.008, 6.911, and 7.946, all P<0.05), and there was a significant difference in fibrosis stage between the patients with positive or negative HBeAg and the patients with different levels of serum HBV RNA (χ2=7.996 and 10.874, both P<0.05). The degree of liver inflammation and fibrosis stage were not significantly correlated with serum HBV DNA (rs =0.024, P=0.785; rs =0.039, P=0.652), while they were significantly correlated with serum HBV RNA (rs =0.222, P=0.009; rs =0.187, P=0.029). The multivariate analysis showed that in CHB patients, positive HBeAg was an independent risk factor for inflammatory necrosis (odds ratio [OR]=-0.302, 95% confidence interval [CI]: -1.160 to 0.386, P=0.002) and fibrosis (OR=-0.387, 95%CI: -1.160 to 0.386, P=0.011).  Conclusion  There are varying degrees of inflammatory necrosis and fibrosis in the liver of CHB patients with normal ALT, and positive HBeAg is independent risk factor for significant inflammatory necrosis and fibrosis in liver tissue of these patients.

     

  • loading
  • [1]
    World Health Organization. Progress report on HIV, viral hepatitis and sexually transmitted infections 2019. Accountability for the global health sector strategies, 2016-2021[R]. Geneva: World Health Organization, 2019.
    [2]
    World Health Organization. Global hepatitis report 2017[R]. Geneva: World Health Organization, 2017.
    [3]
    ZHU XH, CHEN ZX, ZHUANG X, et al. Comparative effectiveness of prophylactic strategies for perinatal transmission of hepatitis B virus: A network Meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials[J/CD]. Chin J Exp Clin Infect Dis(Electronic Edition), 2018, 12( 4): 316- 323. DOI: 10.3877/cma.j.issn.1674-1358.2018.04.002.

    朱晓红, 陈智娴, 庄勋, 等. 不同干预措施预防乙型肝炎病毒母婴传播的网络Meta分析[J/CD]. 中华实验和临床感染病杂志(电子版), 2018, 12( 4): 316- 323. DOI: 10.3877/cma.j.issn.1674-1358.2018.04.002.
    [4]
    Viral Hepatitis Group, Hepatology Branch of Chinese Research Hospital Association. Expert consensus on diagnosis and treatment of chronic hepatitis B virus with persistently normal alanine aminotransferase[J]. J Clin Hepatol, 2021, 37( 10): 2286- 2291. DOI: 10.3969/j.issn.1001-5256.2021.10.007.

    中国研究型医院学会肝病学分会病毒性肝炎学组. ALT持续正常的慢性HBV感染者诊疗专家共识[J]. 临床肝胆病杂志, 2021, 37( 10): 2286- 2291. DOI: 10.3969/j.issn.1001-5256.2021.10.007.
    [5]
    KÖCK J, THEILMANN L, GALLE P, et al. Hepatitis B virus nucleic acids associated with human peripheral blood mononuclear cells do not originate from replicating virus[J]. Hepatology, 1996, 23( 3): 405- 413. DOI: 10.1002/hep.510230303.
    [6]
    WANG J, SHEN T, HUANG XB, et al. Serum hepatitis B virus RNA is encapsidated pregenome RNA that may be associated with persistence of viral infection and rebound[J]. J Hepatol, 2016, 65( 4): 700- 710. DOI: 10.1016/j.jhep.2016.05.029.
    [7]
    JANSEN L, KOOTSTRA NA, van DORT KA, et al. Hepatitis B virus pregenomic RNA is present in virions in plasma and is associated with a response to pegylated interferon alfa-2a and nucleos(t)ide analogues[J]. J Infect Dis, 2016, 213( 2): 224- 232. DOI: 10.1093/infdis/jiv397.
    [8]
    PRAKASH K, RYDELL GE, LARSSON SB, et al. High serum levels of pregenomic RNA reflect frequently failing reverse transcription in hepatitis B virus particles[J]. Virol J, 2018, 15( 1): 1- 8. DOI: 10.1186/s12985-018-0994-7.
    [9]
    LAM AM, REN SP, ESPIRITU C, et al. Hepatitis B virus capsid assembly modulators, but not nucleoside analogs, inhibit the production of extracellular pregenomic RNA and spliced RNA variants[J]. Antimicrob Agents Chemother, 2017, 61( 8): e00680- e00617. DOI: 10.1128/AAC.00680-17.
    [10]
    WOODDELL CI, YUEN MF, CHAN HLY, et al. RNAi-based treatment of chronically infected patients and chimpanzees reveals that integrated hepatitis B virus DNA is a source of HBsAg[J]. Sci Transl Med, 2017, 9( 409): eaan0241. DOI: 10.1126/scitranslmed.aan0241.
    [11]
    WANG J, YU YQ, LI GJ, et al. Relationship between serum HBV-RNA levels and intrahepatic viral as well as histologic activity markers in entecavir-treated patients[J]. J Hepatol, 2018, 68( 1): 16- 24. DOI: 10.1016/j.jhep.2017.08.021.
    [12]
    HUANG CL, LI Q, XU W, et al. Serum HBV RNA levels predict significant liver fibrosis in patients with chronic HBV infection[J]. Discov Med, 2020, 29( 157): 119- 128.
    [13]
    Chinese Society of Hepatology, Chinese Medical Association; Chinese Society of Gastroenterology, Chinese Medical Association; Chinese Society of Infectious Diseases, Chinese Medical Association. Consensus on the diagnosis and therapy of hepatic fibrosis(2019)[J]. J Clin Hepatol, 2019, 35( 10): 2163- 2172. DOI: 10.3969/j.issn.1001-5256.2019.10.007.

    中华医学会肝病学分会, 中华医学会消化病学分会, 中华医学会感染病学分会. 肝纤维化诊断及治疗共识(2019年)[J]. 临床肝胆病杂志, 2019, 35( 10): 2163- 2172. DOI: 10.3969/j.issn.1001-5256.2019.10.007.
    [14]
    ODENWALD MA, PAUL S. Viral hepatitis: Past, present, and future[J]. World J Gastroenterol, 2022, 28( 14): 1405- 1429. DOI: 10.3748/wjg.v28.i14.1405.
    [15]
    TERRAULT NA, BZOWEJ NH, CHANG KM, et al. AASLD guidelines for treatment of chronic hepatitis B[J]. Hepatology, 2016, 63( 1): 261- 283. DOI: 10.1002/hep.28156.
    [16]
    TERRAULT NA, LOK ASF, MCMAHON BJ, et al. Update on prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of chronic hepatitis B: AASLD 2018 hepatitis B guidance[J]. Hepatology, 2018, 67( 4): 1560- 1599. DOI: 10.1002/hep.29800.
    [17]
    HUANG DQ, LI XH, LE MH, et al. Natural history and hepatocellular carcinoma risk in untreated chronic hepatitis B patients with indeterminate phase[J]. Clin Gastroenterol Hepatol, 2022, 20( 8): 1803- 1812. e 5. DOI: 10.1016/j.cgh.2021.01.019.
    [18]
    Chinese Society of Hepatology, Chinese Society of Infectious Diseases. Guidelines for the prevention and treatment of chronic hepatitis B(2022 version)[J]. Chin J Infect Dis, 2023, 41( 1): 3- 28. DOI: 10.3760/cma.j.cn311365-20230220-00050.

    中华医学会肝病学分会, 中华医学会感染病学分会. 慢性乙型肝炎防治指南(2022年版)[J]. 中华传染病杂志, 2023, 41( 1): 3- 28. DOI: 10.3760/cma.j.cn311365-20230220-00050.
    [19]
    JI LX, YANG XX. Liver histological changes and clinical features in chronic hepatitis B with normal or mildly elevated alanine amin-otransferase[J]. J Clin Hepatol, 2020, 36( 4): 778- 782. DOI: 10.3969/j.issn.1001-5256.2020.04.014.

    纪林秀, 杨兴祥. ALT水平正常或轻度升高慢性乙型肝炎的肝组织学改变及临床特征分析[J]. 临床肝胆病杂志, 2020, 36( 4): 778- 782. DOI: 10.3969/j.issn.1001-5256.2020.04.014.
    [20]
    ZHOU WW, HUANG J, PAN FM. Research progress in epidemiological characteristics and therapeutic drugs of chronic hepatitis B[J]. J Changchun Univ Chin Med, 2022, 38( 12): 1420- 1424. DOI: 10.13463/j.cnki.cczyy.2022.12.028.

    周薇薇, 黄俊, 潘发明. 慢性乙型肝炎流行病学特点和治疗药物研究进展[J]. 长春中医药大学学报, 2022, 38( 12): 1420- 1424. DOI: 10.13463/j.cnki.cczyy.2022.12.028.
    [21]
    ZHOU X, LI WZ, MA WT, et al. Correlation between liver histopathology and age, ALT and HBV DNA levels in chronic HBV infected patients with normal ALT[J]. Chin Hepatol, 2019, 24( 10): 1141- 1144. DOI: 10.14000/j.cnki.issn.1008-1704.2019.10.017.

    周璇, 李维正, 马文婷, 等. ALT正常慢性HBV感染者肝组织病理与年龄、ALT和HBV DNA水平相关性研究[J]. 肝脏, 2019, 24( 10): 1141- 1144. DOI: 10.14000/j.cnki.issn.1008-1704.2019.10.017.
    [22]
    ZHOU BC. Pathological characteristics of liver biopsy in patients with chronic hepatitis B with normal or slightly increased transaminase[J]. Chin Hepatol, 2019, 24( 3): 253- 256. DOI: 10.14000/j.cnki.issn.1008-1704.2019.03.013.

    周保仓. 转氨酶正常或轻度增高的慢性乙型肝炎患者肝穿刺活检病理特征[J]. 肝脏, 2019, 24( 3): 253- 256. DOI: 10.14000/j.cnki.issn.1008-1704.2019.03.013.
    [23]
    WANG N, TANG CC, WANG LC. Progress in pathogenesis and treatment of chronic HBV infection in immune toler-ance period[J]. Chin J Integr Tradit West Med Liver Dis, 2021, 31( 7): 596- 599. DOI: 10.3969/j.issn.1005-0264.2021.07.006.

    王能, 唐骢宸, 王丽春. 慢性HBV感染免疫耐受期发生机制及治疗进展[J]. 中西医结合肝病杂志, 2021, 31( 7): 596- 599. DOI: 10.3969/j.issn.1005-0264.2021.07.006.
    [24]
    LIU YY, JIANG M, XUE JY, et al. Serum HBV RNA quantification: Useful for monitoring natural history of chronic hepatitis B infection[J]. BMC Gastroenterol, 2019, 19( 1): 1- 9. DOI: 10.1186/s12876-019-0966-4.
    [25]
    BAI L, ZHANG XN, KOZLOWSKI M, et al. Extracellular hepatitis B virus RNAs are heterogeneous in length and circulate as capsid-antibody complexes in addition to virions in chronic hepatitis B patients[J]. J Virol, 2018, 92( 24): e00798- e00718. DOI: 10.1128/JVI.00798-18.
    [26]
    SHEN S, XIE ZL, CAI DW, et al. Biogenesis and molecular characteristics of serum hepatitis B virus RNA[J]. PLoS Pathog, 2020, 16( 10): e1008945. DOI: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1008945.
    [27]
    DENG R, LIU S, SHEN S, et al. Circulating HBV RNA: From biology to clinical applications[J]. Hepatology, 2022, 76( 5): 1520- 1530. DOI: 10.1002/hep.32479.
    [28]
    BAI H, LIU HB, CHEN XK, et al. Influence of age and HBeAg status on the correlation between HBV DNA and hepatic inflammation and fibrosis in chronic hepatitis B patients[J]. Dig Dis Sci, 2013, 58( 5): 1355- 1362. DOI: 10.1007/s10620-012-2479-7.
  • 加载中

Catalog

    通讯作者: 陈斌, bchen63@163.com
    • 1. 

      沈阳化工大学材料科学与工程学院 沈阳 110142

    1. 本站搜索
    2. 百度学术搜索
    3. 万方数据库搜索
    4. CNKI搜索

    Tables(2)

    Article Metrics

    Article views (444) PDF downloads(81) Cited by()
    Proportional views
    Related

    /

    DownLoad:  Full-Size Img  PowerPoint
    Return
    Return