Lower baseline ALT cut-off values and HBV DNA levels better differentiate HBeAg(-) chronic hepatitis B patients from inactive chronic carriers

AIM： To determine whether new cut-off values for aianine aminotransferase （ALT） and baseline hepatitis B virus （HBV） DNA levels better differentiate HBeAg（-） chronic hepatitis B （CriB） patients from inactive chronic carriers. METHODS： Ninety-one patients [32 HBeAg（＋） CriB, 19 inactive carriers and 40 HBeAg（-） CriB] were followed up for 2 years and were tested for HBV DNA levels by a PCR-based assay. ALT was tested twice during the last 6 mo using new cut-off values： ULN （upper limit of normal） 30 IU/L for males, 19 IU/L for females. Diagnostic accuracy, sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative predictive values were calculated by discriminant analysis. RESULTS： When using the revised ALT cut-off values, the lowest optimal HBV DNA level that differentiated HBeAg（-） CHB patients from inactive carriers was 50000 copies/mL. The diagnostic accuracy of HBV DNA to determine inactive carriers with a cut-off of 50000 copies/mL was similar to the previously recommended cut-off of 100000 copies/mL （91%）. HBV DNA levels were lower than the cut-off value in 95% of inactive carriers and in 28% of HBeAg（-） CHB patients. With ALT 〈 30 IU/L in men and 〈 19 IU/L in women and HBV DNA levels 〈 100000 copies/mL, the risk of CHB is 5%. On the other hand, if ALT values were 〉 30 IU in men and 〉 19 IU in women and baseline HBV DNA levels were 〉 100000 copies/mL, the risk is 86%. CONCLUSION： New cut-off values for ALT together with HBV DNA levels proposed by AASLD （American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases） and NIH （National Institute of Health） consensus seem appropriate to characterize inactive carriers.

Enhancing cellular immune response to HBV M DNA vaccine in mice by codelivery of interleukin-18 recombinant

Objective:To investigate the effect of interleukin-18 (IL-18) on immune response induced by plasmid encoding hepatitis B virus middle protein antigen and to explore new strategies for prophylactic and therapeutic HBV DNA vaccines.Methods:BALB/c mice were immunized with pCMV-M alone or co-immunized with pcDNA3-18 and pCMV-M and then their sera were collected for analysing anti-HBsAg antibody by ELISA;splenocytes were isolated for detecting specific CTL response and cytokine assay in vitro.Results:The anti-HBs antibody level of mice co-immunized with pcDNA3-18 and pCMV-M was slightly higher than that of mice immunized with pCMV-M alone,but there was not significantly different (P>0.05).Compared with mice injected with pCMV-M, the specific CTL cytotoxity activity of mice immunized with pcDNA3-18 and pCMV-M was significantly enhanced (P<0.05) and the level of IFN-γ in supernatant of splenocytes cultured with HBsAg in vitro was significantly elevated (P<0.05) while the level of IL-4 had no significant difference (P>0.05).Conclusion:The plasmid encoding IL-18 together with HBV M gene DNA vaccines may enhance specific TH1 cells and CTL cellular immune response induced in mice, so that IL-18 is a promising immune adjuvant.

肝纤维化患者几种生化免疫指标的比较

研究常用血清学肝纤维化四项等指标在乙型肝炎及肝硬化中的诊断价值。

乙型肝炎血清标志模式与病毒载量的关系及意义

为探讨乙型肝炎 (以下简称乙肝 )血清标志模式与病毒载量的关系及临床意义 ,作者选择符合 2 0 0 0年《全国病毒性肝炎诊断标准》的慢性肝炎血清 1343份 ,分别用ELISA法、PCR ELISA法检测HB血清标志、HBV -DNA和 1896位点变异株。结果显示 :HBsAg阳性血清 10 97份 (81.6 8%、)HBsAg阴性血清 2 4 6份 (81.31% )。在HBsAg阳性血清中 ,HBsAg、HBeAg、抗 HBc(1 3 5 )阳性组 4 0 4份 (30 .l% ) ,HBV -DNA阳性 347份 (85 .89% ) ,DNA阳性值呈递增趋势 (10 4～ 10 6拷贝 /ml,各占 8.6 5 %、33.71%、5 3.6 1% ) ;而HBsAg、抗 HBe阳性组血清 6 0 6份 (45 .12 % ) ,DNA阳性值 10 5拷贝 /ml,占优势 (6 4 .18% )。在HBsAg阴性血清中 ,抗 HBs、抗 HBe、抗 HBc(2 4 5 )阳性组 2 32份 (17.2 7% ) ,DNA阳性占 7.32 % ,DNA阳性值递减由 10 4～ 10 6拷贝 /ml,各占 5 2 .9%、4 1.l%、5 .9%。结论 ,各血清标志模式中的病毒载量为HBsAg阳性组 >HBsAg阴性组 ,阳性组 1 3 5 >1 4 5 >l 5 >2 4 5。但 1 3 5阳性组中 14 %在界值以下 ,1 4 5阳性组中 1896位点自然变异达 78.6 % ,2 4 5阳性组中仍存在DNA+ 血清 ,以上提示在临床判定和治疗时要慎重对待(注 :l=HBsAg,2 =抗 HBs,3=HBeAg ,4 =抗 HBe ,5 =抗 HBc)