Anti-HBc IgM associates with acute flare and HBeAg/HBsAg loss in chronic hepatitis B patients with acute exacerbation
Acute exacerbation (AE) is common for patients with chronic hepatitis B (CHB). The aim of the study is to investigate the values of hepatitis B core antibody (anti-HBc) IgM in CHB-AE. Patients were screened from a prospective sub-cohort, 419 CHB patients with AE were enrolled and divided into groups...
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Taylor & Francis Group
2025-12-01
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| Series: | Virulence |
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| Online Access: | https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/10.1080/21505594.2025.2534078 |
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| author | Ying Zhang Ying Zhu Yi Zhou Zhaoxia Tan Yunjie Dan Xin Zou Guohong Deng Wenting Tan |
| author_facet | Ying Zhang Ying Zhu Yi Zhou Zhaoxia Tan Yunjie Dan Xin Zou Guohong Deng Wenting Tan |
| author_sort | Ying Zhang |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Acute exacerbation (AE) is common for patients with chronic hepatitis B (CHB). The aim of the study is to investigate the values of hepatitis B core antibody (anti-HBc) IgM in CHB-AE. Patients were screened from a prospective sub-cohort, 419 CHB patients with AE were enrolled and divided into groups according to antiviral treatment history, treatment naïve, withdrawal above or within 6 months, and on-treatment. The prevalence, clinical characteristics of anti-HBc IgM, and its relationship with the outcomes of CHB were assessed. A total of 157 patients (37.5%) were tested positive for anti-HBc IgM, of which patients with antiviral-withdrawal more than 6 months had the highest prevalence (49.3%). Anti-HBc IgM was significantly associated with HBV DNA and ALT, regarding to its prevalence and serum level. Furthermore, serum anti-HBc IgM values varied in different phases of CHB, of which immune active and HBeAg-negative chronic hepatitis phases were significantly higher than that in inactive carriers (p = 0.017 and p = 0.0097, respectively). Anti-HBc IgM could distinguish hepatitis from inactive infection phases in HBeAg-negative patients (AUC 0.841). Anti-HBc IgM levels were significantly higher in subgroup who developed ACLF (p < 0.05), but had no relationship with short-term mortality. Finally, anti-HBc IgM seropositivity was the only predictor of HBeAg seroclearance (OR 3.18, 95% CI 1.30–7.73) and all patients who achieved HBsAg seroclearance within 1-year had a markedly elevated anti-HBc IgM level. In conclusion, our study shows anti-HBc IgM is highly prevalent in CHB patients with AE and would be a new predictor of HBeAg and HBsAg loss in this population. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-fdc8a594134f469c8666d27ad129434e |
| institution | DOAJ |
| issn | 2150-5594 2150-5608 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-12-01 |
| publisher | Taylor & Francis Group |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Virulence |
| spelling | doaj-art-fdc8a594134f469c8666d27ad129434e2025-08-20T02:40:51ZengTaylor & Francis GroupVirulence2150-55942150-56082025-12-0116110.1080/21505594.2025.2534078Anti-HBc IgM associates with acute flare and HBeAg/HBsAg loss in chronic hepatitis B patients with acute exacerbationYing Zhang0Ying Zhu1Yi Zhou2Zhaoxia Tan3Yunjie Dan4Xin Zou5Guohong Deng6Wenting Tan7Department of Infectious Diseases, Southwest Hospital, Third Military Medical University, Chongqing, ChinaDepartment of Infectious Diseases, Southwest Hospital, Third Military Medical University, Chongqing, ChinaDepartment of Infectious Diseases, Southwest Hospital, Third Military Medical University, Chongqing, ChinaDepartment of Infectious Diseases, Southwest Hospital, Third Military Medical University, Chongqing, ChinaDepartment of Infectious Diseases, Southwest Hospital, Third Military Medical University, Chongqing, ChinaDepartment of Infectious Diseases, Southwest Hospital, Third Military Medical University, Chongqing, ChinaDepartment of Infectious Diseases, Southwest Hospital, Third Military Medical University, Chongqing, ChinaDepartment of Infectious Diseases, Southwest Hospital, Third Military Medical University, Chongqing, ChinaAcute exacerbation (AE) is common for patients with chronic hepatitis B (CHB). The aim of the study is to investigate the values of hepatitis B core antibody (anti-HBc) IgM in CHB-AE. Patients were screened from a prospective sub-cohort, 419 CHB patients with AE were enrolled and divided into groups according to antiviral treatment history, treatment naïve, withdrawal above or within 6 months, and on-treatment. The prevalence, clinical characteristics of anti-HBc IgM, and its relationship with the outcomes of CHB were assessed. A total of 157 patients (37.5%) were tested positive for anti-HBc IgM, of which patients with antiviral-withdrawal more than 6 months had the highest prevalence (49.3%). Anti-HBc IgM was significantly associated with HBV DNA and ALT, regarding to its prevalence and serum level. Furthermore, serum anti-HBc IgM values varied in different phases of CHB, of which immune active and HBeAg-negative chronic hepatitis phases were significantly higher than that in inactive carriers (p = 0.017 and p = 0.0097, respectively). Anti-HBc IgM could distinguish hepatitis from inactive infection phases in HBeAg-negative patients (AUC 0.841). Anti-HBc IgM levels were significantly higher in subgroup who developed ACLF (p < 0.05), but had no relationship with short-term mortality. Finally, anti-HBc IgM seropositivity was the only predictor of HBeAg seroclearance (OR 3.18, 95% CI 1.30–7.73) and all patients who achieved HBsAg seroclearance within 1-year had a markedly elevated anti-HBc IgM level. In conclusion, our study shows anti-HBc IgM is highly prevalent in CHB patients with AE and would be a new predictor of HBeAg and HBsAg loss in this population.https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/10.1080/21505594.2025.2534078Chronic hepatitis Bacute exacerbationanti-HBc IgMhepatitis flareseroclearance |
| spellingShingle | Ying Zhang Ying Zhu Yi Zhou Zhaoxia Tan Yunjie Dan Xin Zou Guohong Deng Wenting Tan Anti-HBc IgM associates with acute flare and HBeAg/HBsAg loss in chronic hepatitis B patients with acute exacerbation Virulence Chronic hepatitis B acute exacerbation anti-HBc IgM hepatitis flare seroclearance |
| title | Anti-HBc IgM associates with acute flare and HBeAg/HBsAg loss in chronic hepatitis B patients with acute exacerbation |
| title_full | Anti-HBc IgM associates with acute flare and HBeAg/HBsAg loss in chronic hepatitis B patients with acute exacerbation |
| title_fullStr | Anti-HBc IgM associates with acute flare and HBeAg/HBsAg loss in chronic hepatitis B patients with acute exacerbation |
| title_full_unstemmed | Anti-HBc IgM associates with acute flare and HBeAg/HBsAg loss in chronic hepatitis B patients with acute exacerbation |
| title_short | Anti-HBc IgM associates with acute flare and HBeAg/HBsAg loss in chronic hepatitis B patients with acute exacerbation |
| title_sort | anti hbc igm associates with acute flare and hbeag hbsag loss in chronic hepatitis b patients with acute exacerbation |
| topic | Chronic hepatitis B acute exacerbation anti-HBc IgM hepatitis flare seroclearance |
| url | https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/10.1080/21505594.2025.2534078 |
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