Clinical significance of liver biopsy in chronic hepatitis B patients with persistently normal transaminase

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to study the clinical significance of liver biopsy for individuals who had chronic hepatitis B virus infection and persistently normal serum transaminases for more than 6 months. METHODS: A total of 452 patients with positive hepatitis B surface antigen for over 6 months underwent percutaneous liver biopsy. All liver biopsy specimens were assessed by experienced liver pathologists blinded to the liver biochemistry, and were scored according to the modified criteria of grade and stage of chronic hepatitis. Patients were divided into four groups: group A and group C patients had normal transaminases, and were hepatitis B e antigen (HBeAg) positive and HBeAg negative, respectively; group B and group D patients had elevated transaminases, and were HBeAg positive and HBeAg negative, respectively. RESULTS: All patients had necrosis and inflammation in the liver. Patients with increased serum transaminases had a significantly higher grade (G) of hepatic necrosis and inflammation and more severe (S) fibrosis compared with patients with normal transaminases (P < 0.05). However, in the latter patients, G3 was seen in 10 (5.5%) and 13 cases (9.1%), S3 in seven (3.8%) and 16 cases (11.1%), and S4 in three (1.6%) and seven cases (4.9%) in Group A and Group C, respectively. Moreover, in patients with normal transaminases, the HBeAg‐negative group had more severe fibrosis than the HBeAg‐positive group (P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: Although more severe pathological changes were more frequent in patients with elevated transaminases, significant hepatic pathology could still be found in cases with persistently normal transaminases. Liver biopsy in cases of chronic hepatitis B virus infection is helpful to accurately assess both the activity of the disease and the degree of fibrosis, and to estimate if antiviral therapy is justifiable. Patients with normal transaminases and serious hepatic necrosis, inflammation and fibrosis need proper management.