Natural history of hepatitis B surface antigen‐positive cirrhosis in Taiwan: A clinicopathological study

ABSTRACT To clarify the natural history of hepatitis B virus (HBV)‐associated liver cirrhosis, the clinical, laboratory and histological features of 174 untreated hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg)‐positive cirrhotics were analysed, with a mean follow‐up period of 34 months (range 8–135 months) after liver biopsy. Male patients were predominant (86.8%) and the mean age of the whole group was 45 years, s.d. = 12 (range 15–82 years). Serum HBeAg and HBV‐DNA positivity were 38.9% and 31.8%, respectively. The calculated annual rate of spontaneous HBeAg seroconversion was 6.4% which was significantly lower than that (12%) of patients with HBeAg‐positive chronic active hepatitis (CAH). Superinfection by δ‐agent was rare, and anti‐δ antibody was detected in only 1.7% of them. The occurrence rate of hepatocellular carcinoma in the whole group was 5.7%/year which was not higher than that of HBsAg‐negative cirrhotics (6.2%/year). Serial liver biopsy showed that in the late evolution of cirrhosis, hepatitic activity tended to decline. Active cirrhosis may represent the intermediate stage between CAH and inactive liver cirrhosis. The 5‐year survival probability rate of the patients belonging to Child's functional classes A, B and C was 83.4% (s.d. = 5.7), 79.2% (s.d. = 9.4) and 30.9% (s.d. = 14.3), respectively. Most patients were in a well‐compensated state on entry into the study and remained stable for several years after diagnosis. Major causes of death include massive variceal bleeding, hepatic failure and/or hepatorenal syndrome, infection and hepatocellular carcinoma.