Liver Histopathological Features Influencing HBeAg Seroconversion in Patients with HBeAg-positive Chronic Hepatitis B Treated with Pegylated Interferon α

Objective To investigate the efficiency of pegylated interferon α therapy for patients with HBe Ag-positive chronic hepatitis B(CHB) and explore whether liver histopathological features and other factors might influence HBe Ag seroconversion.Methods Total of 80 HBe Ag-positive CHB patients who received liver puncture were treated with pegylated interferon α once a week for 48 weeks. The rate of HBe Ag seroconversion was determined after therapy, and the factors influencing HBe Ag seroconversion were analyzed.Results The rate of HBe Ag seroconversion was 30.00% at the end of treatment. The rate of HBe Ag seroconversion gradually increased with the elevation of liver inflammatory activity(χ2 = 9.170, P = 0.027). But liver fibrosis has little correlation with the rate of HBeA g seroconversion(χ2 = 5.917, P = 0.116). Except HBeA g, other baseline indexes including gender, age, serum ALT and serum HBV DNA 1evels had no statistical difference between the patients with HBe Ag seroconversion and the patients without HBe Ag seroconversion. By binary logistic regression analysis, liver inflammation and HBeA g were influencing factors for HBeA g seroconversion. Conclusions Pegylated interferon α therapy induces a higher rate of HBeA g seroconversion in HBeA g-positive chronic hepatitis B patients with severe liver inflammation, so the liver biopsies should be performed in time.