Fig. 1.

Serum taurocholic acid is significantly elevated in patients with HBeAg-positive chronic hepatitis B. A The level of total bile acids (TBAs) across the natural history of chronic HBV infection. B Heatmap of serum BA profiles in different disease phases. C The level of BAs in HCs and HBeAg-positive CHB patients. D The level of BAs in different disease phases. E The level of BAs in HBeAg-positive CHB (II) patients relative to that in healthy controls (HCs). HC, healthy control (n = 20); I, HBeAg-positive chronic HBV infection (n = 20); II, HBeAg-positive chronic hepatitis B (CHB) (n = 50); III, HBeAg-negative chronic HBV infection (n = 20); IV, HBeAg-negative chronic hepatitis B (n = 20). Data are presented as the mean ± SEM. Mann–Whitney U test. *p < 0.05, **p < 0.01, ***p < 0.001