[Relationship between serum HBV DNA levels and hepatic fibrosis markers in chronic hepatitis B].

OBJECTIVE: To study the relationship between serum HBV DNA levels and hepatic fibrosis markers in chronic hepatitis B. METHODS: One hundred and fifty-seven patients with chronic hepatitis B were included in the study, 49 patients among them were diagnosed as early cirrhosis by liver biopsy. Serum HBV DNA levels were determined using fluorescent quantitative PCR, and serum hepatic fibrosis markers including hyaluronic acid (HA), laminin (LN), amino terminal propeptide of type III precollagen (P III P) and type IV collagen (IV-C) were determined by radioimmunity assay. The relationship between serum HBV DNA levels and hepatic fibrosis markers were analyzed. Serum HBV DNA levels and hepatic fibrosis markers of 49 patients with early cirrhosis were compared with those of 108 non-cirrhotic patients. RESULTS: There was no significant relationship between serum HBV DNA levels and hepatic fibrosis markers in chronic hepatitis B (P>0.05). Patients with early cirrhosis had much higher hepatic fibrosis markers together with lower HBV DNA levels than non-cirrhotic patients (P<0.05). CONCLUSIONS: There were no significant relationship between serum HBV DNA levels and hepatic fibrosis markers in patients with chronic hepatitis B.