Table I.
Clinical characteristics of patients and controls
| Overall CHB | Low viral load | High viral load | Healthy donor | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| n | 58 | 35 | 23 | 28 |
| Median age (range) | 35 (23–69) | 35 (23–69) | 36 (23–63) | 28 (22–44) |
| Sex (M:F ratio) % male | (41:17) 70% | (25:10) 71% | (16:7) 70% | (14:14) 50% |
| Median serum HBVDNA (IU/ml; range) | 250,000 (BLQ–340 × 106) |
1,400 (BLQ–945700) |
78 × 106(1.1 × 106–340 × 106) | - |
| Median ALT (IU/liter; range) | 50 (21–498) | 36 (21–498) | 73 (24–363) | - |
| HBeAg status (% positive) | 11% | 10% | 87% | - |
BLQ, DNA positive but below limit of quantification, i.e., <50 IU/ml.