Table 1.
Baseline characteristics of the study population according to clinical phases
| Parameters | HD, n = 23 | IT, n = 20 | IA, n = 27 | IC, n = 22 | ENEG, n = 18 | P value |
| Age, yr (Median, range) | 29 (22-39) | 25.5 (20-33) | 27 (18-36) | 33.5 (23-51) | 39.5 (26-56) | < 0.001 |
| Male/female | 13/10 | 8/12 | 15/12 | 10/12 | 11/7 | 0.653 |
| Log 10 HBV-DNA, copies/mL | negative | 7.88 ± 0.53 | 7.49 ± 0.83 | < 4a | 5.97 ± 0.80 | < 0.001b |
| Log 10 HBsAg, IU/mL | negative | 4.72 ± 0.19 | 4.34 ± 0.32 | 3.06 ± 0.49 | 3.66 ± 0.56 | < 0.001b |
| Log 10 HBeAg, PEIU/mL | negative | 2.89 ± 0.26 | 2.34 ± 0.56 | negative | negative | 0.001c |
| ALT, U/L | 21.7 ± 6.9 | 21.2 ± 7.0 | 132.3 ± 70.5 | 21.1 ± 7.1 | 137.8 ± 105.6 | < 0.001 |
| AST, U/L | 19.0 ± 6.5 | 18.9 ± 5.1 | 75.9 ± 41.3 | 22.0 ± 5.3 | 68.3 ± 37.2 | < 0.001 |
| Tbil, µmol/L | 14.9 ± 5.3 | 14.8 ± 6.8 | 14.8 ± 4.4 | 13.4 ± 4.1 | 12. 7 ± 2.9 | 0.501 |
a
Some patients had serum HBV-DNA levels < 500 copies/mL or < 20 IU/Ml.
b
Kruskal-Wallis test among the four clinical phases.
c
Mann-Whitney U test between immune tolerant and immune active phase.
Data are presented as mean ± SD, serum HBV-DNA, HBeAg and HBsAg levels were log-transformed. ALT: Alanine aminotransferase; AST: Aspartate aminotransferase; Tbil: Total bilirubin; HBsAg: Hepatitis B surface antigen; HBeAg: Hepatitis B envelope antigen; HD: Healthy donors; IT: Immune tolerant; IA: Immune active; IC: Inactive carrier; ENEG: Hepatitis B envelope antigen-negative hepatitis.