@article{3125740,
    title = "Hepatitis B s antigen kinetics during treatment with nucleos(t)ides analogues in patients with hepatitis B e antigen-negative chronic hepatitis B",
    author = "Striki, A. and Manolakopoulos, S. and Deutsch, M. and Kourikou, A. and Kontos, G. and Kranidioti, H. and Hadziyannis, E. and Papatheodoridis, G.",
    journal = "Liver International",
    year = "2017",
    volume = "37",
    number = "11",
    pages = "1642-1650",
    publisher = "Wiley-Blackwell Publishing Ltd",
    issn = "1478-3223, 1478-3231",
    doi = "10.1111/liv.13432",
    keywords = "adefovir;  alanine aminotransferase;  entecavir;  hepatitis B surface antigen;  hepatitis B(e) antigen;  lamivudine;  nucleoside analog;  telbivudine;  tenofovir;  tenofovir disoproxil;  virus DNA;  antivirus agent;  hepatitis B surface antigen;  hepatitis B(e) antigen;  virus DNA, adult;  Article;  chronic hepatitis B;  cohort analysis;  comparative study;  controlled study;  female;  follow up;  human;  liver cirrhosis;  long term care;  major clinical study;  male;  middle aged;  remission;  treatment duration;  aged;  blood;  chronic hepatitis B;  Hepatitis B virus;  kinetics;  proportional hazards model, Adult;  Aged;  Antiviral Agents;  DNA, Viral;  Female;  Hepatitis B e Antigens;  Hepatitis B Surface Antigens;  Hepatitis B virus;  Hepatitis B, Chronic;  Humans;  Kinetics;  Male;  Middle Aged;  Proportional Hazards Models",
    abstract = "Background/Aims: Serum hepatitis B s antigen (HBsAg) levels might be used as a predictor of virological breakthrough or of sustained off-treatment virological response in hepatitis B e antigen (HBeAg)-negative chronic hepatitis B (CHB) patients. We evaluated the changes of HBsAg in those patients under nucleos(t)ide analogue(s) [NA(s)] therapy for ≥12 months. Methods: We included 99 HBeAg-negative CHB patients treated with low-genetic barrier NA(s) for a mean of 66 months (lamivudine: 66, adefovir: 6, lamivudine plus adefovir: 11 and telbivudine: 16) and 86 HBeAg-negative CHB patients treated under entecavir or tenofovir for a mean of 30 months as the comparison group. Results: Compared to baseline, HBsAg levels decreased by a median of 162, 1525, 943, 1545, 2163 and 3859 IU/mL at 6, 12, 24, 36, 48 and 60 months of therapy with low-genetic barrier NA(s) respectively. The 6-, 12-, 24-, 36-, 48- and 60-month cumulative rates of HBsAg<100 IU/mL were 2%, 3%, 3%, 5%, 5% and 5%, and <1000 IU/mL 6%, 9%, 15%, 19%, 24% and 61% respectively. Baseline HBsAg levels were the only significant variable associated with the time to HBsAg drop <1000 IU/mL. HBsAg loss occurred in 3.0% of patients. The high-genetic barrier NAs were not found to offer a greater or faster HBsAg decline. Conclusions: In HBeAg-negative CHB patients, long-term therapy with low-genetic barrier NA(s) decreases serum HBsAg levels, but the rate of decline is slow. Lower baseline HBsAg levels are significantly associated with on-therapy HBsAg drop <1000 IU/mL. Serum HBsAg decline is similar during therapy with low- or high-genetic barrier NAs. © 2017 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd"
}