Clinical Predictors of Liver Fibrosis in Patients With Chronic Hepatitis B Virus Infection From Children to Adults

Correlation Between Clinical Indicators and Liver Pathology in Children with Chronic Hepatitis B

Background: Chronic hepatitis B (CHB) in children presents a significant global health challenge, with liver inflammation and fibrosis being critical concerns for disease progression and long-term outcomes. Methods: This retrospective study analyzed 1629 pediatric CHB patients from the Fifth Medical Center of Chinese PLA General Hospital, spanning from January 2000 to December 2021. Liver biopsies were performed to assess the severity of liver inflammation and fibrosis, which were graded using the Scheuer scoring system. Key clinical indicators, including age, alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), and gamma-glutamyl transferase (GGT), were evaluated for their predictive value in determining disease severity using restricted cubic spline regression models. Results: Significant nonlinear associations were found between the clinical indicators and liver pathology. Older age was strongly associated with increased risks of moderate to severe inflammation (OR 2.21, 95% CI: 1.34-3.63, p = 0.002) and significant fibrosis (OR 2.22, 95% CI: 1.31-3.77, p = 0.003). Elevated ALT levels (≥80 U/L) were correlated with a higher likelihood of moderate to severe inflammation (OR 1.82, 95% CI: 1.05-3.15, p = 0.033), while higher GGT levels (≥50 U/L) were significantly associated with advanced fibrosis (OR 2.62, 95% CI: 1.72-3.99, p < 0.001). Conclusions: Regular monitoring of clinical indicators such as ALT, AST, and GGT levels plays a critical role in identifying pediatric CHB patients at higher risk of moderate to severe inflammation and significant fibrosis. Our findings highlight the value of integrating age and key biochemical markers into non-invasive diagnostic algorithms for the early detection and management of liver pathology in children.

Candidate SNP Markers Significantly Altering the Affinity of the TATA-Binding Protein for the Promoters of Human Genes Associated with Primary Open-Angle Glaucoma

Primary open-angle glaucoma (POAG) is the most common form of glaucoma. This condition leads to optic nerve degeneration and eventually to blindness. Tobacco smoking, alcohol consumption, fast-food diets, obesity, heavy weight lifting, high-intensity physical exercises, and many other bad habits are lifestyle-related risk factors for POAG. By contrast, moderate-intensity aerobic exercise and the Mediterranean diet can alleviate POAG. In this work, we for the first time estimated the phylostratigraphic age indices (PAIs) of all 153 POAG-related human genes in the NCBI Gene Database. This allowed us to separate them into two groups: POAG-related genes that appeared before and after the phylum Chordata, that is, ophthalmologically speaking, before and after the camera-type eye evolved. Next, in the POAG-related genes' promoters, we in silico predicted all 3835 candidate SNP markers that significantly change the TATA-binding protein (TBP) affinity for these promoters and, through this molecular mechanism, the expression levels of these genes. Finally, we verified our results against five independent web services-PANTHER, DAVID, STRING, MetaScape, and GeneMANIA-as well as the ClinVar database. It was concluded that POAG is likely to be a symptom of the human self-domestication syndrome, a downside of being civilized.

STRIKE-HBV: establishing an HBV screening programme in Kilifi, Kenya-challenges, successes and lessons learnt

OBJECTIVES

Chronic hepatitis B infection affects 65 million people in the WHO African Region, but only 4.2% of these are diagnosed and 0.2% on treatment. Here, we present a short report describing establishment of a hepatitis B virus (HBV) programme in Kenya. We share experiences, successes and challenges to support development of future programmes.

METHODS

From March 2023, we began the 'STRIKE-HBV' Study to identify people living with HBV (PLWHB) in Kilifi, Kenya. We employed local staff and provided education and training. Individuals were identified through three routes: (1) we offered free-of-charge HBV testing for all non-pregnant adults attending Kilifi Country Hospital (KCH) outpatient department; (2) we invited PLWHB to reattend for review; and (3) we invited close contacts of PLWHB for screening and vaccination if HBV was negative. All those seropositive for HBV were offered a comprehensive liver health assessment.

RESULTS

We have established a framework for HBV screening, assessment and linkage to care in Kilifi. Between March 2023 and March 2024, we collected data for 80 PLWHB, comprising (1) screening of 1862 people of whom 30 were seropositive, (2) enrolment of 38 people known to be living with HBV and (3) testing of 97 close contacts of PLWHB, of whom 12 were positive. Among a limited subset with elastography data, we identified 9 of 59 as having significant fibrosis, and a further 6 people had laboratory aspartate transaminase (AST) to platelet ratio index (APRI) scores in keeping with fibrosis. We encountered challenges including procurement delays for hepatitis B surface antigen testing kits and HBV vaccinations, and issues accessing liver elastography.

CONCLUSIONS

HBV screening was well received by the Kilifi population, has identified people at risk of liver disease progression and is improving linkage to care and vaccination at KCH. Future HBV programmes in WHO Africa can build on this experience as we work to develop accessible, affordable and acceptable care pathways.

Baseline Hepatitis B Virus Surface Antigen Titers in Childhood Predict the Risk of Advanced Liver Fibrosis in Adulthood

BACKGROUND & AIMS

Hepatitis B virus (HBV) surface antigen (HBsAg) is a marker of both HBV covalently closed circular DNA and integrated HBV genome, whereas the HBV core-related antigen (HBcrAg) indicates the transcriptional activity of covalently closed circular DNA. This study examined the relationship between HBsAg and HBcrAg titers in childhood and advanced fibrosis in adulthood.

METHODS

We recruited 214 initially hepatitis B e antigen-positive chronic HBV-infected patients who were followed for a total of 6371 person-years. None of the patients were co-infected with hepatitis C or D virus. Serum HBsAg and HBcrAg titers were assessed at 10 and 15 years of age. Transient elastography was performed at a mean final age of 38.21 years to identify advanced fibrosis.

RESULTS

Patients with advanced fibrosis in adulthood had a higher rate of genotype C HBV infection and a higher HBsAg titer at 10 and 15 years of age (P = .003, P = .03, and P = .005, respectively). The HBcrAg titer was not correlated with advanced fibrosis (P > .05). Receiver operating characteristic curve analysis showed that HBsAg cutoffs of >4.23 and >4.44 log₁₀ IU/mL at 10 and 15 years of age, respectively, best predicted advanced fibrosis in the fourth decade of life (P = .001 and P < .001, respectively). In a multivariate analysis, both an HBsAg titer >4.44 log₁₀ IU/mL at 15 years of age and HBV genotype C were predictors of advanced fibrosis (odds ratios, 15.43 and 4.77; P = .01 and P = .02, respectively).

CONCLUSIONS

HBsAg titers in childhood predict the progression to liver fibrosis in adulthood.

Noninvasive Assessment of Liver Fibrosis and Inflammation in Chronic Hepatitis B: A Dual-task Convolutional Neural Network (DtCNN) Model Based on Ultrasound Shear Wave Elastography

BACKGROUND AND AIMS

Liver stiffness (LS) measured by shear wave elastography (SWE) is often influenced by hepatic inflammation. The aim was to develop a dual-task convolutional neural network (DtCNN) model for the simultaneous staging of liver fibrosis and inflammation activity using 2D-SWE.

METHODS

A total of 532 patients with chronic hepatitis B (CHB) were included to develop and validate the DtCNN model. An additional 180 consecutive patients between December 2019 and April 2021 were prospectively included for further validation. All patients underwent 2D-SWE examination and serum biomarker assessment. A DtCNN model containing two pathways for the staging of fibrosis and inflammation was used to improve the classification of significant fibrosis (≥F2), advanced fibrosis (≥F3) as well as cirrhosis (F4).

RESULTS

Both fibrosis and inflammation affected LS measurements by 2D-SWE. The proposed DtCNN performed the best among all the classification models for fibrosis stage [significant fibrosis AUC=0.89 (95% CI: 0.87-0.92), advanced fibrosis AUC=0.87 (95% CI: 0.84-0.90), liver cirrhosis AUC=0.85 (95% CI: 0.81-0.89)]. The DtCNN-based prediction of inflammation activity achieved AUCs of 0.82 (95% CI: 0.78-0.86) for grade ≥A1, 0.88 (95% CI: 0.85-0.90) grade ≥A2 and 0.78 (95% CI: 0.75-0.81) for grade ≥A3, which were significantly higher than the AUCs of the single-task groups. Similar findings were observed in the prospective study.

CONCLUSIONS

The proposed DtCNN improved diagnostic performance compared with existing fibrosis staging models by including inflammation in the model, which supports its potential clinical application.

Pharmacogenomics deliberations of 2-deoxy-d-glucose in the treatment of COVID-19 disease: an in silico approach

The outbreak of COVID-19 caused by the coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) prompted number of computational and laboratory efforts to discover molecules against the virus entry or replication. Simultaneously, due to the availability of clinical information, drug-repurposing efforts led to the discovery of 2-deoxy-d-glucose (2-DG) for treating COVID-19 infection. 2-DG critically accumulates in the infected cells to prevent energy production and viral replication. As there is no clarity on the impact of genetic variations on the efficacy and adverse effects of 2-DG in treating COVID-19 using in silico approaches, we attempted to extract the genes associated with the 2-DG pathway using the Comparative Toxicogenomics Database. The interaction between selected genes was assessed using ClueGO, to identify the susceptible gene loci for SARS-CoV infections. Further, SNPs that were residing in the distinct genomic regions were retrieved from the Ensembl genome browser and characterized. A total of 80 SNPs were retrieved using diverse bioinformatics resources after assessing their (a) detrimental influence on the protein stability using Swiss-model, (b) miRNA regulation employing miRNASNP3, PolymiRTS, MirSNP databases, (c) binding of transcription factors by SNP2TFBS, SNPInspector, and (d) enhancers regulation using EnhancerDB and HaploReg reported A2M rs201769751, PARP1 rs193238922 destabilizes protein, six polymorphisms of XIAP effecting microRNA binding sites, EGFR rs712829 generates 15 TFBS, BECN1 rs60221525, CASP9 rs4645980, SLC2A2 rs5393 impairs 14 TFBS, STK11 rs3795063 altered 19 regulatory motifs. These data may provide the relationship between genetic variations and drug effects of 2-DG which may further assist in assigning the right individuals to benefit from the treatment.

Serum IL-1β predicts de novo hepatitis B virus reactivation during direct-acting antiviral therapy for hepatitis C, not during anti-cancer/immunosuppressive therapy

De novo hepatitis B virus (HBV) reactivation occurs during direct-acting antiviral (DAA) treatment in hepatitis C virus (HCV)-infected patients with resolved HBV infection. We evaluated the predictive factors, mechanical insight, and differences of cytokine levels during anti-cancer/immunosuppressive and DAA. Eleven, 35, and 19 HCV-infected patients with previous HBV infection with HBV reactivation during DAA treatment, previous HBV infection without HBV reactivation during DAA treatment, and without HBV infection resolution receiving DAA treatment, respectively, were enrolled. Clinical data and baseline cytokine levels were analyzed. Low baseline serum interleukin (IL)-1β levels predicted de novo HBV reactivation during DAA treatment (odds ratio: 47.6, 95% confidence interval: 6.94-333.3). HCV-infected patients with the IL-1β gene single nucleotide polymorphism rs16944 AA allele had significantly higher IL-1β levels; no HCV-infected patient with the IL-1β AA allele experienced HBV reactivation during DAA treatment. Compared to HCV-infected patients with HBV infection resolution, non-HCV infected patients with or without HBV reactivation during anti-cancer/immunosuppressive therapy or bone marrow transplantation had remarkably lower baseline IL-1β levels. Low IL-1β levels were not associated with HBV reactivation. IL-1β levels before DAA for HCV-infected patients with resolved HBV infection could predict HBV reactivation during DAA treatment.

Liver Histology of Treatment-Naïve Children with Chronic Hepatitis B Virus Infection in Shanghai China

BACKGROUND & AIMS

Chronic hepatitis B (CHB) is associated with high morbidity and mortality. We aimed to investigate associations between hepatic histology and clinical characteristics in treatment-naïve children with CHB in Shanghai, China.

METHODS

The liver biopsy specimens of 278 treatment-naïve children with CHB virus infection were scored for inflammation and fibrosis, and correlations with clinical and laboratory data were determined.

RESULTS

CHB clinical, virologic and pathologic features were studied in 278 treatment-naïve children (177 males (63.7%)) from Shanghai, China. Maternal sera were hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) positive for 277 children. At biopsy, 87.4% of patients were hepatitis B e antigen positive. The median age at biopsy was 5.1 years (interquartile range 2.8-8.4 years). Hepatitis B virus (HBV) DNA levels were generally high (mean 7.4 log₁₀ IU/ml), as were levels of serum alanine aminotransferase (ALT, median 105 U/L). Using the Metavir histology activity index scoring system, no, mild, moderate and severe inflammation was seen in 2.9%, 22.3%, 73.4%, and 1.4% of patients, respectively. No fibrosis, mild fibrosis, moderate fibrosis, and cirrhosis was seen in 11.5%, 32.7%, 47.5%, and 8.3% of patients, respectively. When the serum ALT level was ≤80 (2× the upper limit of normal) and >80 U/L, the inflammation score (P<0.0001) was significantly different. And the fibrosis score was significantly different (P<0.0001), either. Inflammation and fibrosis were aggravated with increasing ALT levels. Fibrosis scores were significantly higher in children aged ≤3 than aged >3 years (P<0.0001). The rates of moderate fibrosis and cirrhosis were higher in children aged ≤3 years at biopsy. No correlations were found between histologic changes and sex, HBV genotype or HBV DNA level.

CONCLUSION

Substantial heterogeneity in inflammatory and fibrotic levels was observed in treatment-naïve children with CHB in Shanghai, China. Serum ALT levels >80 U/L may be a strong indicator of the degree of hepatic inflammation and fibrosis severity. Moderate fibrosis and cirrhosis can appear in children aged <3 years or younger.

Prevalence and Predictors of Liver Fibrosis in People Living with Hepatitis B in Senegal

Hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection is the first cause of liver cirrhosis and cancer in West Africa. Although the exposure to additional environmental and infectious risk factors may lead to the faster progression of liver disease, few large-scale studies have evaluated the determinants of HBV-related liver fibrosis in the region. We used transient elastography to evaluate the prevalence of liver fibrosis and assessed the association between HBV markers and significant liver fibrosis in a cohort of people living with HBV in Dakar, Senegal. The prevalence of significant liver fibrosis was 12.5% (95% confidence interval [CI] 9.6%−15.9%) among 471 people with HBV mono-infection (pwHBV) and 6.4% (95% CI 2.6%−12.7%) in 110 people with HIV/HBV co-infection (pwHIV/HBV) on tenofovir-containing antiretroviral therapy (p = 0.07). An HBV viral load > 2000 IU/mL was found in 133 (28.3%) pwHBV and 5 (4.7%) pwHIV/HBV, and was associated with significant liver fibrosis (adjusted odds ratio (aOR) 1.95, 95% CI 1.04−3.66). Male participants (aOR 4.32, 95% CI 2.01−8.96) and those with elevated ALT (aOR 4.32, 95% CI 2.01−8.96) were especially at risk of having significant liver fibrosis. Our study shows that people with an HBV viral load above 2000 IU/mL have a two-fold increase in the risk of liver fibrosis and may have to be considered for antiviral therapy, independent of other disease parameters.

The compound annual growth rate of the fibrosis-4 index in chronic hepatitis B patients

Chronic hepatitis B (CHB) patients with low disease activity are at risk of liver fibrosis. The age-adjusted fibrosis-4 index (FIB4-AA), developed in our previous publication, and was implemented to evaluate the tendency of liver fibrosis in these patients. We aimed to investigate the rate of liver fibrosis in CHB patients with low disease activity. Resuming our previous study, the FIB-4 changes of 244 antiviral treatment-naïve CHB patients, with a total of 1243.48 person-years, were reviewed. Among the cohort, patients were categorized as FIB4-AA positive or negative according to the results of their last FIB4-AA minus their initial FIB-4 during at least 18 months of observation time. The compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of FIB-4 was calculated for the FIB4-AA positive and negative groups. The assumed healthy controls had an FIB-4 CAGR calculated to be 2.34% for both men and women, while the FIB-4 CAGR of the whole study cohort was 2.84% ± 6.01%. FIB4-AA positive effectively identifies CHB patients with higher mean FIB-4 CAGR (7.11% ± 3.88% vs. -2.36% ± 3.52%, p < 0.0001). Overweight CHB patients had 10 times smaller mean FIB-4 CAGR than lean ones (0.38% ± 10.35% vs. 3.83% ± 8.88%, p = 0.009). An increase in FIB4-AA over at least 18 months in CHB patients with relatively low disease activity meant they were at greater risk of liver fibrosis, and these patients had a mean FIB-4 CAGR of 7.11%. The FIB-4 CAGR was compatible with the findings of previous studies on the collagen proportionate area in viral hepatitis patients.

Liver Fibrosis in the Natural Course of Chronic Hepatitis B Viral Infection: A Systematic Review with Meta-Analysis

BACKGROUND

Quantitative data are limited on the natural course of liver fibrosis in patients with chronic HBV infection (CHB).

AIMS

To estimate the prevalence of fibrosis status including non-fibrosis, significant fibrosis, advanced fibrosis, and cirrhosis throughout the natural course of CHB.

METHODS

We searched Cochrane library, EMBASE, PubMed, SCOPUS, Web of Science, and ScienceDirect from January 1993 to November 2019 for studies with histologic data on liver fibrosis in CHB natural course. CHB course was defined based on current criteria for identifying infection phases as recommended by international clinical practice guidelines, including the HBeAg-positive immune-tolerant, HBeAg-positive immune-active, HBeAg-negative immune-inactive, HBeAg-negative immune-reactive, and HBsAg-negative phases. Pooled prevalence rate of fibrosis status at each phase was obtained from random-effect meta-analyses.

RESULTS

Thirty-three studies with 9,377 adult participants (23.8-49.0 age years; 45.5-88.6% males) were eligible and finally included. The estimated prevalence of non-fibrosis, significant fibrosis, advanced fibrosis, and cirrhosis was, for HBeAg-positive immune-tolerant phase: 31.2% (95%CI 15.6-46.7), 16.9% (95%CI 7.8-26.1), 5.4% (95%CI 0.0-11.2), and 0.0% (95%CI 0.0-1.5); HBeAg-positive immune-active phase: 6.9% (95%CI 3.6-10.2), 50.6% (95%CI 39.2-61.9), 32.1% (95%CI 24.2-40.0), and 12.8% (95%CI 8.6-17.0); HBeAg-negative immune-inactive phase: 32.4% (95%CI 0.0-100.0), 24.8% (95%CI 4.5-45.1), 3.0% (95%CI 0.0-8.3), and 0.0% (95%CI 0.0-1.0); and HBeAg-negative immune-reactive phase: 6.3% (95%CI 3.5-9.2), 50.3% (95%CI 38.9-61.7), 30.3% (95%CI 20.9-39.6), and 10.0% (95%CI 6.6-13.5), respectively. There was only one study for HBsAg-negative phase, thus not allowing further meta-analyses.

CONCLUSIONS

Fibrosis risk persists through CHB natural course. These data can support risk estimation in clinical practice and provide reference for noninvasive investigation.

Serum TNF-α, IL-1β, and IL-6 levels in chronic HBV-infected patients

BACKGROUND

The objective of the study was to evaluate the serum levels of tumour necrosis factor (TNF)-α, interleukin (IL)-1β and IL-6 in chronic HBV-infected patients.

METHODS

The present study was a single centre, prospective and randomised controlled trial. Twenty healthy volunteers and thirty HBeAg-negative patients with planned liver biopsy and treatment-naive diagnosed with chronic hepatitis B (CHB) were included in the study. TNF-α, IL-1β and IL-6 levels were measured in the serum of CHB patient and control groups using an ELISA. Results were compared statistically using a Mann-Whitney U test.

RESULTS

The mean age of the CHB group (20 men, 10 women) and the control group (10 men, 10 women) was 33.3 ± 9.7 (17-55) and 26.1 ± 12.3 (16-57), respectively. When the two groups were compared with the Mann-Whitney U-test, TNF-α and IL-6 levels were found to be significantly higher in the CHB group compared to the control group (P = .003, P < .0001, respectively). Although IL-1β levels were not statistically significant, they were higher in the CHB group compared to the controls (P = .07).

CONCLUSIONS

The results of our study showed that serum levels of TNF-α and IL-6 are increased in CHB patients.

Antiviral Therapy Reduces Risk of Cirrhosis in Noncirrhotic HBV Patients Among 4 Urban Safety-Net Health Systems

INTRODUCTION

To evaluate the impact of chronic hepatitis B virus infection (CHB) treatment on risk of cirrhosis, liver-related outcomes, and death among a diverse CHB cohort with a large proportion of African Americans.

METHODS

Adults with noncirrhotic CHB without human immunodeficiency virus from 2010 to 2018 were retrospectively evaluated across 4 US safety-net health systems. CHB was identified with International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision/Tenth Revision diagnosis coding and confirmatory laboratory data. Propensity-score matching, Kaplan-Meier methods, and adjusted Cox proportional hazards models were used to evaluate impact of CHB treatment on risk of cirrhosis, hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), death, and composite of cirrhosis, HCC, or death.

RESULTS

Among 4,064 CHB patients (51.9% female, 42.0% age <45 years, 31.6% African American, 26.6% Asian, 26.7% Hispanic), 23.2% received CHB antiviral therapy and 76.8% did not. Among the propensity score-matched cohort (428 treated and 428 untreated), CHB treatment was associated with lower risk of cirrhosis (hazards ratio 0.65, 95% confidence interval 0.46-0.92, P = 0.015) and composite of cirrhosis, HCC, or death (hazards ratio 0.67, 95% confidence interval 0.49-0.94, P = 0.023). Females vs males and African Americans vs non-Hispanic whites had significantly lower risk of cirrhosis. When treatment effects were stratified by age, sex, and ethnicity, the benefits of antiviral therapies in reducing risk of cirrhosis were seen primarily in CHB patients who were females, age <45 years, and of Asian ethnicity.

DISCUSSION

Our propensity score-matched cohort of noncirrhotic CHB patients demonstrated significant reductions in risk of cirrhosis due to CHB treatment.

High-normal alanine aminotransferase is an indicator for liver histopathology in HBeAg-negative chronic hepatitis B

OBJECTIVE

We aimed to assess liver histological changes of HBeAg-negative chronic hepatitis B (CHB) patients with normal ALT, and determined the association between significant liver injury and age, ALT, and HBV DNA levels.

METHODS

We retrospectively examined 327 patients who underwent liver biopsy from 2009 to 2018. Significant liver histological change is defined as liver necroinflammation ≥ G2 and/or liver fibrosis ≥ F2.

RESULTS

The proportion of patients with significant liver necroinflammation or fibrosis in the high-normal ALT group (ALT > 20 U/L) was higher than that in the low-normal ALT group (ALT ≤ 20 U/L) (44.6% vs 26.5%, 61.0% vs 41.7%, p < 0.01); also the proportion in the group with HBV DNA ≥ 2000 IU/mL was significantly higher than that in the group with HBV DNA < 2000 IU/mL (58.5% vs 27.1%, 67.9% vs 46.2%, p < 0.01). There was no significant difference in hepatic histopathology between < 40 and ≥ 40 years groups. Among 221 patients with normal ALT and low HBV DNA levels (< 2000 IU/mL), 27.1% of them had significant liver necroinflammation and 46.2% had significant liver fibrosis. The multiple logistic regression analysis showed that ALT > 20 U/L and HBV DNA ≥ 2000 IU/mL were independently associated with significant liver histopathology (p < 0.01).

CONCLUSION

HBeAg-negative CHB patients with normal ALT and low HBV DNA level (< 2000 IU/mL) were suggested to perform liver biopsy or noninvasive methods for histopathology assessment, then to be determined for antiviral therapy. ALT > 20 U/L and HBV DNA ≥ 2000 IU/mL are good independently predictive factors for evaluating significant liver histopathology for HBeAg-negative CHB patients with normal ALT.

CLINICAL TRIALS REGISTRATION

Chinese Clinical Trial Registry (ChiCTR-IOR-14005474).

Impacts of the Percentage of Basal Core Promoter Mutation on the Progression of Liver Fibrosis After Hepatitis B e Antigen Seroconversion

BACKGROUND

We investigated the relationships among the percentage of hepatitis B virus (HBV) mutations and liver fibrosis after hepatitis B e antigen (HBeAg) seroconversion.

METHODS

We quantified the percentage of HBV mutants by pyrosequencing using serum samples obtained at inflammatory phase and after HBeAg seroconversion in 160 initially HBeAg-positive chronic HBV-infected patients. The relationships between antiviral agents, percentages of HBV mutations, and liver stiffness measurements (LSMs) were analyzed.

RESULTS

We demonstrated that the percentages of A1762T/G1764A mutation are significantly higher in subjects with an LSM >7 kPa than in those with an LSM ≤7 kPa after HBeAg seroconversion. Hepatitis B e antigen seroconversion age is positively correlated with the percentages of A1762T/G1764A mutation at inflammatory phase before HBeAg seroconversion. Subjects who underwent interferon, entecavir, or tenofovir disoproxil fumarate therapy before HBeAg seroconversion possessed a lower percentage of A1762T/G1764A mutation after HBeAg seroconversion. The percentage of A1762T/G1764A ≥20% after HBeAg seroconversion was predictive of an LSM >7 kPa (hazard ratio = 6.37, P = .001). The presence of A1762T/G1764A led to downregulated messenger ribonucleic acid and protein levels of programmed-death ligand-1 (PD-L1) in hepatocytes.

CONCLUSIONS

The percentage of A1762T/G1764A mutations after HBeAg seroconversion was associated with liver fibrosis. The A1762T/G1764A mutation may evoke hepatic inflammation by suppressing PD-L1 in hepatocytes.

A Liver Biopsy Validation Pilot Study of Shear Wave Elastography, APRI, FIB-4, and Novel Serum Biomarkers for Liver Fibrosis Staging in Children With Chronic Viral Hepatitis

As liver biopsy in children poses inherent risks, noninvasive measures of liver fibrosis are needed. This was a cross-sectional, liver biopsy validation pilot study of 16 participants evaluating the ability of shear wave elastography, aspartate transaminase to platelet ratio index (APRI), fibrosis index based on the 4 factors, and novel serum biomarkers to stage liver fibrosis in children with chronic hepatitis B or C. There was very high intrasegmental shear wave speed variation in our participants and little correlation with fibrosis. APRI and monocyte chemoattractant protein (MCP-1) were higher in fibrosis stage F2-3 versus F0-1 (P = .02, P = .06, respectively). Soluble Fas (sFas) was lower in F2-3 versus F0-1 (P = .046). A logistic regression analysis calculated by (APRI × MCP-1)/sFas demonstrated an area under the receiver operating characteristic curve of 0.92 (P < .001), suggesting that this combination can differentiate fibrosis stage F0-1 from F2-3 in children with chronic viral hepatitis.

Approximate solutions for HBV infection with stability analysis using LHAM during antiviral therapy

Hepatitis B virus (HBV) is a life-threatening virus that causes very serious liver-related diseases from the family of Hepadnaviridae having very rare qualities resembling retroviruses. In this paper, we analyze the effect of antiviral therapy through mathematical modeling by using Liao's homotopy analysis method (LHAM) that defines the connection between the target liver cells and the HBV. We also examine the basic nonlinear differential equation by LHAM to get a semi-analytical solution. This can be a very straight and direct method which provides the appropriate solution. Moreover, the local and global stability analysis of disease-free and endemic equilibrium is done using Lyapunov function. Mathematica 12 software is used to find out the solutions and graphical representations. We also discuss the numerical simulations up to sixth-order approximation and error analysis using the same software.

Role of alcohol in pathogenesis of hepatitis B virus infection

Hepatitis B virus (HBV) and alcohol abuse often contribute to the development of end-stage liver disease. Alcohol abuse not only causes rapid progression of liver disease in HBV infected patients but also allows HBV to persist chronically. Importantly, the mechanism by which alcohol promotes the progression of HBV-associated liver disease are not completely understood. Potential mechanisms include a suppressed immune response, oxidative stress, endoplasmic reticulum and Golgi apparatus stresses, and increased HBV replication. Certainly, more research is necessary to gain a better understanding of these mechanisms such that treatment(s) to prevent rapid liver disease progression in alcohol-abusing HBV patients could be developed. In this review, we discuss the aforementioned factors for the higher risk of liver diseases in alcohol-induced HBV pathogenies and suggest the areas for future studies in this field.

Precise fibrosis staging with shear wave elastography in chronic hepatitis B depends on liver inflammation and steatosis

BACKGROUND

Two-dimensional shear wave elastography (2D-SWE) is the latest generation of ultrasound elastography for the non-invasive assessment of liver fibrosis in chronic hepatitis B (CHB). We aimed to identify confounders of 2D-SWE in fibrosis grading.

METHODS

A prospective cohort of 440 CHB patients (286 with liver biopsy and 154 with clinical decompensated cirrhosis) was consecutively enrolled from a clinical trial (registration number: ChiCTR-DCD-15006000) aimed at optimizing 2D-SWE assessments from 2015 to 2018. All patients underwent 2D-SWE examination, anthropometric measurement, and serum biomarker assessment. Steatosis was graded by the magnetic resonance imaging-derived proton density fat fraction (MRI-PDFF).

RESULTS

Overall, the prevalence of incorrect fibrosis staging by 2D-SWE was 26.1% (n = 115), with 43.5% of patients under-staged and 56.5% over-staged. In multivariate analysis, the steatosis degree was an independent predictor of 2D-SWE discordance in the overall cohort, with moderate-severe steatosis for underestimation (odds ratio, [OR] = 4.3, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.2-18.2, p = 0.049) and overestimation (OR = 8.2, 95% CI 2.9-23.5, p < 0.001), and mild steatosis for overestimation (OR = 3.7, 95% CI 1.5-9.0, p = 0.004). In patients with liver biopsy, both histological inflammation activity over 2 (OR = 5.0, 95% CI 2.0-25.3, p = 0.048) and moderate-severe steatosis (OR = 5.2, 95% CI 2.1-13.4, p < 0.001) were independent factors associated with discordance. For the risk of 2D-SWE mis-staging, a nomogram that integrated these confounders was established and the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve of the model was 0.861.

CONCLUSIONS

Steatosis and inflammation activities were confounders for 2D-SWE. The combination of these confounders could predict mis-staging risks of CHB-related fibrosis with 2D-SWE and may be valuable to decision-making on liver biopsy for fibrosis staging.

Updates in the management of hepatitis B in children

Introduction: Universal infant hepatitis B virus (HBV) vaccination program has reduced HBV infection dramatically in vaccinated young generations. Management of chronically infected children is still challenging concerning high viral load with mostly mild diseases, yet with a nonnegligible proportion of advanced diseases, and long-term effect of antivirals. However, with more potent antivirals approved for pediatric patients, to start antivirals earlier in eligible patients may benefit their outcomes. This review aimed to update the current management of chronic hepatitis B in children.Areas covered: This review covered the natural history of chronic HBV infection, management of chronic hepatitis B in children from the past to the present, current consensus on the treatment of chronic hepatitis B in children, controversies in cessation of oral antivirals, and management of special populations such as pregnancy and co-infections.Expert opinions: Without contraindication, peginterferon is recommended for immune-active children ≥ 3 years old. For those intolerant, decompensating or preferring oral therapy, first-line Nucleos(t)ide analogs (NUC), Entecavir or Tenofovir, may be applied. For immune-tolerant or inactive carriers, close monitoring is crucial. When to stop NUCs and novel therapies for HBV cure await further research.

Transient elastography correlated with diffusion-weighted magnetic resonance imaging and cholestatic complications

BACKGROUND/PURPOSE

The study aim to investigate the correlation between diffusion-weighted magnetic resonance imaging (DW-MRI) and transient elastography (TE) liver fibrosis findings in children with cholestatic liver diseases, and the utility of TE findings to predict cholestatic complications in children.

METHODS

This cross-sectional study enrolled 36 cholestatic children (21 boys and 15 girls). All study subjects underwent TE and DW-MRI studies to assess liver stiffness. All study subjects were followed prospectively, and their cholestatic complications were analyzed. The optimum cut-off TE value for the prediction of cholestatic complications was determined by receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis.

RESULTS

A significant negative correlation between liver stiffness measurements (LSMs) and right-liver-to-psoas apparent diffusion coefficient ratios (LTPARs) was found in the study cohort (correlation coefficient = -0.52, p = 0.001). An LSM cut-off > 8.6 kPa was optimal for predicting complications of cholestasis in 6 months of this cohort (p < 0.001). Survival analysis revealed that an LSM of >8.6 kPa was significantly predictive of cholestatic complications in 6 months (hazard ratio = 4.89; 95% CI = 1.41-16.97; p = 0.01).

CONCLUSION

TE and DW-MRI findings showed a similar ability to predict liver fibrosis in cholestatic children. The LSMs measured by TE are predictive of the occurrence of cholestatic complications in 6 months in children with cholestatic liver diseases.

Serological Risk Index Based on Alpha-Fetoprotein and C-Reactive Protein to Indicate Futile Liver Transplantation Among Patients with Advanced Hepatocellular Carcinoma

BACKGROUND

The aim of this study was to establish a preoperatively available serological risk index using alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) and C-reactive protein (CRP) for predicting oncologically futile liver transplantation (LT) in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) patients.

METHODS

A total of 119 liver transplant patients with HCC were retrospectively analyzed. The prognostic impact of clinical and histopathologic factors including pre-LT serum AFP and CRP values was determined.

RESULTS

Apart from microvascular tumor invasion (MVI; odds ratio [OR] 15.77), pretransplant serum levels of AFP > 100 ng/ml (OR 13.31) and CRP > 0.8 mg/dl (OR 13.97) were identified as independent predictors of HCC recurrence. The cumulative risk of HCC relapse at 5 years post-LT was 2.3% in low serological tumor activity (STA) index (AFP ≤ 100 ng/ml + CRP ≤ 0.8 mg/dl), 17.1% in intermediate STA (AFP ≤ 100 ng/ml or CRP ≤ 0.8 mg/dl), and 91.6% in high STA index (AFP > 100 ng/ml + CRP > 0.8 mg/dl; p < 0.001), respectively. High STA index was identified as most powerful pre-LT available predictor of MVI (OR 15.31) and posttransplant HCC recurrence (OR 54.44). Five-year recurrence-free survival rate in Milan Out patients with high STA was 0%, compared to 91.7% and 83.6% in those with low or intermediate STA index (p < 0.001), respectively.

CONCLUSION

Our proposed serological risk index based on pretransplant serum AFP and CRP values is able to predict oncologically futile LT among advanced HCC patients.