Relationship between serum expression of HBeAg,HBV DNA level and hepatic pathologic impairment of patients with chronic hepatitis B virus infection

Objective To compare the pathological characteristics at different age-stage in HBeAg-positive patients and HBeAg-negative patients with chronic hepatitis virus(HBV)infection.Methods Three hundred and twenty-three cases with chronic HBV infection were divided into HBeAg-positive group and HBeAg-negative group.Patients in each group were further divided in age-based subgroups(age40,goung;age≥40,old).Liver biopsy was performed in all cases.The grade and the stage of the liver tissues were routinely obtained.The levels of alanine aminotransferase and HBV DNA were simultaneously measured.The relation of ALT level,HBV DNA level and the pathological characteristics were analyzed in all four subgroups.Results The grade of liver inflammation and the HBV DNA level in HBeAg-positive old patients was significantly higher than that in HBeAg-negative patients.There was no significant difference between HBeAg-positive young patients and HBeAg-negative patients,although the HBV DNA level in the HBeAg-positive young patients was higher than that in HBeAg-negative patients.The grade of liver inflammation and stage of liver fibrosis were significantly different between old HBeAg-negative inactive carrier and HBeAg-negative chronic hepatitis B patients.Similarly there was no significant difference in young patients.The HBV DNA level in HBeAg-negative chronic hepatitis B patients was significantly higher than that in HBeAg-negative inactive carrier.Conclusion The relationships between serum HBeAg expression,HBV DNA levels and the grade of liver inflammation varied in different age stages.HBeAg expression and HBV DNA level could not be used as independent factors to evaluate liver the severity of liver impairment in patients with chronic hepatitis B virus infection.