Table 1.
Clinical characteristics of the patients, n (%)
|
Characteristics
|
Total patients (n = 121)
|
Sustained HBsAg seroclearance (n = 105)
|
HBV reversion
(n = 16) |
P value
|
| Age, years, mean ± SD | 35.6 ± 10.9 | 36.2 ± 11.2 | 31.8 ± 8.0 | 0.132 |
| Male | 74 (61.2) | 66 (62.9) | 8 (50.0) | 0.326 |
| Family history of HBV infection | 64 (52.9) | 57 (54.28) | 7 (43.8) | 0.432 |
| Characteristics before HBsAg seroclearance | ||||
| Therapy regimens | ||||
| IHCs treated with peg-IFN-α alone | 73 (60.3) | 66 (62.9) | 7 (43.8) | 0.342 |
| CHB treated with NA sequential combination with peg-IFN-α | 42 (34.7) | 34 (32.4) | 8 (50.0) | |
| CHB treated with NA de novo combination with peg-IFN-α | 6 (5.0) | 5 (4.7) | 1 (6.2) | |
| Peg-IFN-α types | ||||
| Peg-IFN-α-2a | 41 (33.9) | 34 (32.4) | 7 (43.8) | 0.371 |
| Peg-IFN-α-2b | 80 (66.1) | 71 (67.6) | 9 (56.3) | |
| HBsAg levels at the initiation of peg-IFN-α, log10 IU/mL, IQR | 85.6 (4.5, 362.4) | 71.4 (3.7, 289.4) | 497.4 (12.7, 1354.5) | 0.078 |
| HBsAb status | ||||
| HBsAb negative | 113 (93.4) | 98 (93.3) | 15 (93.8) | 1.000 |
| HBsAb positive | 8 (6.6) | 7 (6.7) | 1 (6.3) | |
| HBV DNA negative | 84 (69.4) | 75 (71.4) | 9 (56.3) | 0.250 |
| HBV DNA positive | 37 (30.6) | 30 (28.6) | 7 (43.8) | |
| HBeAg negative | 101 (83.5) | 87 (82.9) | 14 (87.5) | 1.000 |
| HBeAg positive | 20 (16.5) | 18 (17.1) | 2 (12.5) | |
| Treatment time before HBsAg loss, weeks, IQR | 20.0 (12.0, 42.0) | 20.0 (12.0, 38.0) | 40.0 (12.0, 57.0) | 0.212 |
| Consolidation time after HBsAg loss, weeks, IQR | 12.0 (12.0, 24.0) | 12.0 (12.0, 24.0) | 6.0 (0.0, 11.0) | < 0.001 |
| Total Duration of peg-IFN-α, weeks, IQR | 44.0 (28.0, 56.0) | 40.0 (28.0, 55.0) | 46.0 (29.0, 62.0) | 0.625 |
| Characteristics at the cessation of peg-IFN-α | ||||
| Patients with HBsAg seroconversion | 79 (65.3) | 74 (70.5) | 5 (31.3) | 0.074 |
| HBsAb levels, mIU/mL, IQR | 36.9 (9.6, 115.1) | 44.3 (9.9, 141.0) | 9.1 (3.9, 16.3) | < 0.001 |
| HBeAg negative | 121 (100.0) | 105 (100.0) | 16 (100.0) | - |
| HBV DNA negative | 121 (100.0) | 105 (100.0) | 16 (100.0) | - |
| ALT, IU/L, IQR | 38.0 (24.0, 64.0) | 38.0 (23.9, 60.0) | 40.0 (26.3, 96.0) | 0.218 |
| FibroScan value, kPa, mean ± SD | 5.7 ± 1.0 | 5.7 ± 1.0 | 6.0 ± 1.0 | 0.314 |
HBV: Hepatitis B virus; HBsAg: Hepatitis B surface antigen; IHCs: Inactive HBsAg carriers; CHB: Chronic hepatitis B; Peg-IFN-α: Peginterferon alpha; NA: Nucleos (t)ide analog; HBeAg: Hepatitis B e antigen; HBV DNA: Hepatitis B virus-deoxyribonucleic acid; ALT: Alanine aminotransferase; AST: Aspartate transaminase; IQR: Interquartile range.