BACKGROUND Ankylosing spondylitis(AS)is strongly associated with the human leukocyte antigen(HLA)B27 haplotype.In regions where conventional polymerase chain reaction for HLA typing is available for antigens such as H...BACKGROUND Ankylosing spondylitis(AS)is strongly associated with the human leukocyte antigen(HLA)B27 haplotype.In regions where conventional polymerase chain reaction for HLA typing is available for antigens such as HLA B27 or HLA B51,it is common to perform the HLA B27 test for evaluation of AS.While HLA B27-associated clustered occurrences of AS have been reported in families,we report the first case series of HLA B51-related occurrences of AS in a family.CASE SUMMARY A father and his daughters were diagnosed with AS and did not have the HLA B27 haplotype.Although they were positive for HLA B51,they exhibited no signs of Behçet’s disease(BD).Of the five daughters,one had AS,and three,including the daughter with AS,were positive for HLA B51.The two daughters with the HLA B51 haplotype(excluding the daughter with AS)exhibited bilateral grade 1 sacroiliitis,whereas the daughters without the HLA B51 haplotype did not have sacroiliitis.Thus,this Korean family exhibited a strong association with the HLA B51 haplotype and clinical sacroiliitis,irrespective of the symptoms of BD.CONCLUSION It is advisable to check for HLA B51 positivity in patients with AS/spondyloarthropathy who test negative for HLA B27.展开更多
BACKGROUND The long-term stability of hepatitis B surface antigen(HBsAg)seroclearance following peginterferon alpha(peg-IFN-α)-based therapy has not been extensively studied,leaving the full potential and limitations...BACKGROUND The long-term stability of hepatitis B surface antigen(HBsAg)seroclearance following peginterferon alpha(peg-IFN-α)-based therapy has not been extensively studied,leaving the full potential and limitations of this strategy unclear.AIM To assess HBsAg recurrence after seroclearance achieved by peg-IFN-αregimens.METHODS This prospective,multicenter,observational study was conducted from November 2015 to June 2021 at three Chinese hospitals:The Second Affiliated Hospital of Xi’an Jiaotong University,Ankang Central Hospital,and The Affiliated Hospital of Yan’an University.Participants who achieved HBsAg seroclearance following peg-IFN-α-based treatments were monitored every 4-12 weeks post-treatment for hepatitis B virus(HBV)markers,HBV DNA,and liver function.The primary outcome was HBV recurrence,defined as the reemergence of HBsAg,HBV DNA,or both,at least twice within 4-8 weeks of follow-up.RESULTS In total,121 patients who achieved HBsAg seroclearance were enrolled.After a median follow-up of 84.0(48.0,132.0)weeks,four subjects were lost to follow-up.HBsAg recurrence was detected in 16 patients.The cumulative HBsAg recurrence rate in the intention-to-treat population was 15.2%.Multivariate logistic regression analysis demonstrated that consolidation time<12 weeks[odds ratio(OR)=28.044,95%CI:4.525-173.791]and hepatitis B surface antibody disappearance during follow-up(OR=46.445,95%CI:2.571-838.957)were strong predictors of HBsAg recurrence.HBV DNA positivity and decompensation of liver cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma were not observed.CONCLUSION HBsAg seroclearance following peg-IFN-αtreatment was durable over 84 weeks of follow-up with a cumulative recurrence rate of 15.2%.展开更多
BACKGROUND Occult hepatitis B infection(OBI)is characterized by the detection of hepatitis B virus(HBV)DNA in serum(usually HBV DNA<200 IU/mL)or the liver but negativity for hepatitis B surface antigen(HBsAg).The d...BACKGROUND Occult hepatitis B infection(OBI)is characterized by the detection of hepatitis B virus(HBV)DNA in serum(usually HBV DNA<200 IU/mL)or the liver but negativity for hepatitis B surface antigen(HBsAg).The diagnosis of OBI relies on the sensitivity of assays used in the detection of HBV DNA and HBsAg.HBsAg assays with inadequate sensitivity or inability to detect HBV S variants may lead to misdiagnosis of OBI in people with overt HBV infection.CASE SUMMARY We report a HBsAg-negative but hepatitis B envelope antigen-positive patient who had a significant HBV DNA level.The patient was initially diagnosed as having OBI.However,sequence analysis revealed a unique insertion of amino acid residues at positions 120-124 in the S protein,which affects the formation of a disulfide bond that is associated with the formation of a loop.It is well known that there is an overlap between the S protein and Pol protein.We found that this new insertion site occurred in polymerase/reverse transcriptase domain,indi-cating that this insertion might be involved in HBV pathogenicity.The patient was finally diagnosed with a false OBI.CONCLUSION An insertion of amino acid residues at positions 120-124 of the S protein affects the formation of immunodominant epitopes and results in negative HBsAg levels.展开更多
The management of hepatitis B virus(HBV)infection now involves regular and appropriate monitoring of viral activity,disease progression,and treatment response.Traditional HBV infection biomarkers are limited in their ...The management of hepatitis B virus(HBV)infection now involves regular and appropriate monitoring of viral activity,disease progression,and treatment response.Traditional HBV infection biomarkers are limited in their ability to predict clinical outcomes or therapeutic effectiveness.Quantitation of HBV core antibodies(qAnti-HBc)is a novel non-invasive biomarker that may help with a variety of diagnostic issues.It was shown to correlate strongly with infection stages,hepatic inflammation and fibrosis,chronic infection exacerbations,and the presence of occult infection.Furthermore,qAnti-HBc levels were shown to be predictive of spontaneous or treatment-induced HBeAg and HBsAg seroclearance,relapse after medication termination,re-infection following liver transplantation,and viral reactivation in the presence of immunosuppression.qAnti-HBc,on the other hand,cannot be relied on as a single diagnostic test to address all problems,and its diagnostic and prognostic potential may be greatly increased when paired with qHBsAg.Commercial qAnti-HBc diagnostic kits are currently not widely available.Because many methodologies are only semi-quantitative,comparing data from various studies and defining universal cut-off values remains difficult.This review focuses on the clinical utility of qAnti-HBc and qHBsAg in chronic hepatitis B management.展开更多
乙型肝炎病毒(hepatitis B virus,HBV)e抗原(hepatitis B e antigen,HBeAg)阳性的慢性HBV感染依次经历非活动性肝炎(non-aggressive hepatitis,NAH)和活动性肝炎(aggressive hepatitis,AH)2个分期,但仍缺乏界定HBeAg阳性NAH与AH的可靠...乙型肝炎病毒(hepatitis B virus,HBV)e抗原(hepatitis B e antigen,HBeAg)阳性的慢性HBV感染依次经历非活动性肝炎(non-aggressive hepatitis,NAH)和活动性肝炎(aggressive hepatitis,AH)2个分期,但仍缺乏界定HBeAg阳性NAH与AH的可靠标准。本文根据179例患者的长期随访队列,以自发性HBeAg血清转换作为终点事件,采用Kaplan-Meier生存分析,指定了丙氨酸转氨酶(alanine transaminase,ALT)、HBV表面抗原(hepatitis B surface antigen,HBsAg)和HBV DNA识别HBeAg阳性NAH的功能截断值;在此基础上,评价了ALT串联HBsAg和串联HBV DNA识别HBeAg阳性NAH的性能。结果显示,ALT≤60 IU/L、HBsAg>4.602 log10IU/mL和HBV DNA>7.477 log10IU/mL为识别HBeAg阳性NAH的功能截断值。基于功能截断值,ALT串联HBsAg的患者中,病理学分级≤G1和“分级≤G1且分期≤S2”的构成比均为100%,病理学分期≤S1和“分级≤G2且分期≤S1”的构成比均为68.2%;ALT串联HBV DNA的患者中,病理学分级≤G1和“分级≤G1且分期≤S2”的构成比均为86.2%,病理学分期≤S1和“分级≤G2且分期≤S1”的构成比均为69.0%;ALT串联HBsAg识别病理学分级≤G1和“分级≤G1且分期≤S2”的阳性似然比均为+∞,识别病理学分期≤S1和“分级≤G2且分期≤S1”的阳性似然比均为2.034;ALT串联HBV DNA识别病理学分级≤G1和“分级≤G1且分期≤S2”的阳性似然比分别为3.000和3.068,识别病理学分期≤S1和“分级≤G2且分期≤S1”的阳性似然比均为2.106。以上结果提示,ALT串联HBsAg和串联HBV DNA均可有效识别HBeAg阳性NAH;且ALT串联HBsAg识别HBeAg阳性NAH的性能优于ALT串联HBV DNA。展开更多
文摘BACKGROUND Ankylosing spondylitis(AS)is strongly associated with the human leukocyte antigen(HLA)B27 haplotype.In regions where conventional polymerase chain reaction for HLA typing is available for antigens such as HLA B27 or HLA B51,it is common to perform the HLA B27 test for evaluation of AS.While HLA B27-associated clustered occurrences of AS have been reported in families,we report the first case series of HLA B51-related occurrences of AS in a family.CASE SUMMARY A father and his daughters were diagnosed with AS and did not have the HLA B27 haplotype.Although they were positive for HLA B51,they exhibited no signs of Behçet’s disease(BD).Of the five daughters,one had AS,and three,including the daughter with AS,were positive for HLA B51.The two daughters with the HLA B51 haplotype(excluding the daughter with AS)exhibited bilateral grade 1 sacroiliitis,whereas the daughters without the HLA B51 haplotype did not have sacroiliitis.Thus,this Korean family exhibited a strong association with the HLA B51 haplotype and clinical sacroiliitis,irrespective of the symptoms of BD.CONCLUSION It is advisable to check for HLA B51 positivity in patients with AS/spondyloarthropathy who test negative for HLA B27.
基金Supported by National Key Research and Development Program of China,No.2023YFC2308105.
文摘BACKGROUND The long-term stability of hepatitis B surface antigen(HBsAg)seroclearance following peginterferon alpha(peg-IFN-α)-based therapy has not been extensively studied,leaving the full potential and limitations of this strategy unclear.AIM To assess HBsAg recurrence after seroclearance achieved by peg-IFN-αregimens.METHODS This prospective,multicenter,observational study was conducted from November 2015 to June 2021 at three Chinese hospitals:The Second Affiliated Hospital of Xi’an Jiaotong University,Ankang Central Hospital,and The Affiliated Hospital of Yan’an University.Participants who achieved HBsAg seroclearance following peg-IFN-α-based treatments were monitored every 4-12 weeks post-treatment for hepatitis B virus(HBV)markers,HBV DNA,and liver function.The primary outcome was HBV recurrence,defined as the reemergence of HBsAg,HBV DNA,or both,at least twice within 4-8 weeks of follow-up.RESULTS In total,121 patients who achieved HBsAg seroclearance were enrolled.After a median follow-up of 84.0(48.0,132.0)weeks,four subjects were lost to follow-up.HBsAg recurrence was detected in 16 patients.The cumulative HBsAg recurrence rate in the intention-to-treat population was 15.2%.Multivariate logistic regression analysis demonstrated that consolidation time<12 weeks[odds ratio(OR)=28.044,95%CI:4.525-173.791]and hepatitis B surface antibody disappearance during follow-up(OR=46.445,95%CI:2.571-838.957)were strong predictors of HBsAg recurrence.HBV DNA positivity and decompensation of liver cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma were not observed.CONCLUSION HBsAg seroclearance following peg-IFN-αtreatment was durable over 84 weeks of follow-up with a cumulative recurrence rate of 15.2%.
基金Supported by the Shanghai Municipal Commission of Health and Family Planning,No.PKJ2018-Y05.
文摘BACKGROUND Occult hepatitis B infection(OBI)is characterized by the detection of hepatitis B virus(HBV)DNA in serum(usually HBV DNA<200 IU/mL)or the liver but negativity for hepatitis B surface antigen(HBsAg).The diagnosis of OBI relies on the sensitivity of assays used in the detection of HBV DNA and HBsAg.HBsAg assays with inadequate sensitivity or inability to detect HBV S variants may lead to misdiagnosis of OBI in people with overt HBV infection.CASE SUMMARY We report a HBsAg-negative but hepatitis B envelope antigen-positive patient who had a significant HBV DNA level.The patient was initially diagnosed as having OBI.However,sequence analysis revealed a unique insertion of amino acid residues at positions 120-124 in the S protein,which affects the formation of a disulfide bond that is associated with the formation of a loop.It is well known that there is an overlap between the S protein and Pol protein.We found that this new insertion site occurred in polymerase/reverse transcriptase domain,indi-cating that this insertion might be involved in HBV pathogenicity.The patient was finally diagnosed with a false OBI.CONCLUSION An insertion of amino acid residues at positions 120-124 of the S protein affects the formation of immunodominant epitopes and results in negative HBsAg levels.
文摘The management of hepatitis B virus(HBV)infection now involves regular and appropriate monitoring of viral activity,disease progression,and treatment response.Traditional HBV infection biomarkers are limited in their ability to predict clinical outcomes or therapeutic effectiveness.Quantitation of HBV core antibodies(qAnti-HBc)is a novel non-invasive biomarker that may help with a variety of diagnostic issues.It was shown to correlate strongly with infection stages,hepatic inflammation and fibrosis,chronic infection exacerbations,and the presence of occult infection.Furthermore,qAnti-HBc levels were shown to be predictive of spontaneous or treatment-induced HBeAg and HBsAg seroclearance,relapse after medication termination,re-infection following liver transplantation,and viral reactivation in the presence of immunosuppression.qAnti-HBc,on the other hand,cannot be relied on as a single diagnostic test to address all problems,and its diagnostic and prognostic potential may be greatly increased when paired with qHBsAg.Commercial qAnti-HBc diagnostic kits are currently not widely available.Because many methodologies are only semi-quantitative,comparing data from various studies and defining universal cut-off values remains difficult.This review focuses on the clinical utility of qAnti-HBc and qHBsAg in chronic hepatitis B management.
