Association of gender and HBeAg state with HBV DNA level in patients with HBV chronic infection

Objective To investigate the association of gender and HBeAg state with HBV DNA level in patients with chronic HBV infection. Methods Fluorescence quantitative PCR and double antibody enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays were used to detect HBV DNA levels and HBV serum markers respectively in 151 patients with chronic HBV infection, who had never received liver-protecting, enzyme-reducing, immunosuppressive and antiviral treatment. The relationship between serum HBV DNA and HBeAg state was analyzed according to the gender. Results The detection rates of HBV DNA were 100% in HBeAg-positive group with 50 males and 28 females and 49.3% (36/73) in HBeAg-negative group with 59 males and 14 females. HBV DNA levels between the two groups was not significantly different. However, HBV DNA levels of the males were significantly lower than those of the females in HBeAg-positive group (P 0.05), while the difference in HBV DNA levels was not significant between the males and the females in HBeAg-negative group. Conclusions Immune suppression against HBV in male patients is more powerful than that in female patients, so HBV DNA levels of the male patients are significantly lower than those of the female patients in HBeAg positive group. Meanwhile, male patients are more likely to have HBV mutation and liver inflammation than female patients, and HBV mutation may lead to HBeAg negative conversion while higher levels of HBV replication occur, so HBV DNA levels of HBeAgnegative male patients and female patients are not significantly different.