eISSN: 2449-8238
ISSN: 2392-1099
Clinical and Experimental Hepatology
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1/2021
vol. 7
 
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abstract:
Original paper

Assessment of hepatitis B virus pregenomic RNA in high and low viremic chronic hepatitis B patients

Aymen Farid Elshayeb
1
,
Mohamed Gamal Abdrabu
1
,
Sara Lotfy Asar
2
,
Mohamed Adel Abdelaziz
1
,
Hossam Abuelkheir
1

1.
Department of Tropical Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Alexandria University, Egypt
2.
Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Faculty of Medicine, Alexandria University, Egypt
Clin Exp HEPATOL 2021; 7, 1: 85-92
Online publish date: 2021/03/25
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Aim of the study
Intrahepatic covalently closed circular DNA (cccDNA) is the main cause of hepatitis B virus (HBV) persistence. Therefore, a noninvasive serum biomarker that can reflect intrahepatic cccDNA is required for evaluation of HBV virological, biochemical activity and therapeutic response. Aim of the study was to assess serum hepatitis B pregenomic RNA in low viremia patients (HBV DNA < 2000 IU/ml) and high viremia (HBV DNA > 2000 IU/ml).

Material and methods
This study was carried out on two groups of chronic hepatitis B patients: group A – 40 patients with low viremia (HBV DNA < 2000 IU/ml); group B – 40 patients with high viremia (HBV DNA > 2000 IU/ml when diagnosed). They were assessed before treatment and after 6 months of treatment (entecavir 0.5 mg/24 h). Serum HBV pregenomic RNA was quantified using RT-PCR.

Results
Pregenomic RNA (pgRNA) was significantly lower in group A than in group B (before treatment). Moreover, it was significantly lower after 6 months of treatment than before treatment in group B. A significant positive correlation was observed between pgRNA and HBV DNA in groups A and B (before treatment); however, after 6 months of treatment of group B patients, although 35 patients had undetectable HBV DNA, they showed detectable levels of serum pgRNA and pgRNA > 4000 IU/ml was associated with virological and biochemical activity.

Conclusions
Serum HBV pregenomic RNA might be a promising marker for assessment of HBV virological, biochemical activity and evaluating therapeutic responses.

keywords:

entecavir, HBV pregenomic RNA, noninvasive, biomarker, HBV cccDNA

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