TABLE 2.
Clinical and laboratory characteristics of HBeAg-positive patients with chronic hepatitis B at baseline: correlation with the course after HBeAg/anti-HBe seroconversiona
| Characteristic | Group 1a (n = 34) | Group 1b (n = 13) | Group 2 (n = 6) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Age (yr) | 31.8 ± 1.4 | 34.7 ± 2.0 | 32.5 ± 3.1 |
| Sex (no. male/no. female) | 25:9 | 11:2 | 5:1 |
| AST (IU/liter) | 112 ± 12 | 142 ± 53 | 171 ± 61 |
| ALT (IU/liter) | 212 ± 22 | 240 ± 74 | 263 ± 65 |
| HBV-DNA (pg/ml) | 1,714 ± 354 | 1,712 ± 743 | 1,753 ± 1,398 |
| Precore mutant ratio (%) | 31 ± 5 | 27 ± 4 | 86 ± 10* |
| No.(%) of patients with precore mutant ratio of >50% | 4 (11.8) | 0 (0) | 6 (100)# |
| No. (%) of patients with interferon treatment | 15 (44.1) | 6 (46.1) | 2 (33.3) |
| Interval from presentation to anti-HBe seroconversion (mo) | 20.3 ± 2.5 | 21.4 ± 4.5 | 7.8 ± 1.9= |
Unless otherwise noted, results are means ± standard errors of the means. Groups: 1a, patients who experienced sustained remission of hepatitis during follow-up of at least 12 months after anti-HBe seroconversion; 1b, patients who experienced remission of hepatitis after anti-HBe seroconversion but had subsequent relapse; 2, patients who had persistent high viremia and ALT elevation for more than 6 months after anti-HBe seroconversion. Statistical significance: *, P < 0.001 for comparison with both group 1a and 1b; #, P < 0.001 for comparison with both group 1a and b; =, P < 0.001 for comparison with group 1a, P < 0.05 for comparison with group 1b. For other comparisons, P > 0.05.