Assessment of hepatitis B virus pregenomic RNA in high and low viremic chronic hepatitis B patients

Aymen Elshayeb; Mohamed Abdrabu; Sara Asar; Mohamed Abdelaziz; Hossam Abuelkheir

doi:10.5114/ceh.2021.104472

eISSN: 2449-8238
ISSN: 2392-1099

Clinical and Experimental Hepatology

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abstract:

Original paper

Assessment of hepatitis B virus pregenomic RNA in high and low viremic chronic hepatitis B patients

Aymen Farid Elshayeb

¹

,

Mohamed Gamal Abdrabu

¹

,

Sara Lotfy Asar

²

,

Mohamed Adel Abdelaziz

¹

,

Hossam Abuelkheir

¹

Department of Tropical Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Alexandria University, Egypt
Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Faculty of Medicine, Alexandria University, Egypt

Clin Exp HEPATOL 2021; 7, 1: 85-92

DOI: https://doi.org/10.5114/ceh.2021.104472

Online publish date: 2021/03/25

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Aim of the study
Intrahepatic covalently closed circular DNA (cccDNA) is the main cause of hepatitis B virus (HBV) persistence. Therefore, a noninvasive serum biomarker that can reflect intrahepatic cccDNA is required for evaluation of HBV virological, biochemical activity and therapeutic response. Aim of the study was to assess serum hepatitis B pregenomic RNA in low viremia patients (HBV DNA < 2000 IU/ml) and high viremia (HBV DNA > 2000 IU/ml).

Material and methods
This study was carried out on two groups of chronic hepatitis B patients: group A – 40 patients with low viremia (HBV DNA < 2000 IU/ml); group B – 40 patients with high viremia (HBV DNA > 2000 IU/ml when diagnosed). They were assessed before treatment and after 6 months of treatment (entecavir 0.5 mg/24 h). Serum HBV pregenomic RNA was quantified using RT-PCR.

Results
Pregenomic RNA (pgRNA) was significantly lower in group A than in group B (before treatment). Moreover, it was significantly lower after 6 months of treatment than before treatment in group B. A significant positive correlation was observed between pgRNA and HBV DNA in groups A and B (before treatment); however, after 6 months of treatment of group B patients, although 35 patients had undetectable HBV DNA, they showed detectable levels of serum pgRNA and pgRNA > 4000 IU/ml was associated with virological and biochemical activity.

Conclusions
Serum HBV pregenomic RNA might be a promising marker for assessment of HBV virological, biochemical activity and evaluating therapeutic responses.

keywords:

Assessment of hepatitis B virus pregenomic RNA in high and low viremic chronic hepatitis B patients

Aymen Farid Elshayeb 1 , Mohamed Gamal Abdrabu 1 , Sara Lotfy Asar 2 , Mohamed Adel Abdelaziz 1 , Hossam Abuelkheir 1

entecavir, HBV pregenomic RNA, noninvasive, biomarker, HBV cccDNA

Aymen Farid Elshayeb

¹

,

Mohamed Gamal Abdrabu

¹

,

Sara Lotfy Asar

²

,

Mohamed Adel Abdelaziz

¹

,

Hossam Abuelkheir

¹