OBJECTIVETo investigate the clinical characteristics of anti-HBc IgM positive chronic hepatitis B patients and the relation of anti-HBc IgM development to serum HBV DNA load and the state of HBeAg/anti-HBe.

METHODSThe clinical data were collected from patients with chronic hepatitis B hospitalized in the Infectious Diseases Hospital, Zhangjiakou city, and in Ditan Hospital, some of whom were anti-HBc IgM positive and some others were negative. Their HBV DNA load was examined by real-time PCR, and HBeAg/anti-HBe was detected by AXSYM auto-enzyme analyzer with the third generation EIA regent.

RESULTSTotally 200 patients were enrolled in this study. The number of patients with mild, moderate and severe hepatitis was 71, 83 and 46. The anti-HBc IgM positive patients were older and had longer course of disease than those of anti-HBc IgM negative patients. Of the anti-HBc IgM positive group, 45.71 percent and 54.29 percent had mild and moderate hepatitis, which were significantly different from those in the anti-HBc IgM negative patients (30.00 percent and 70.00 percent). But there was no difference between anti-HBc IgM positive and negative patients in serum HBV DNA level, the state of HBeAg/anti-HBe and outcome.

CONCLUSIONThe anti-HBc IgM state of chronic hepatitis B patients was related to the severity of hepatitis, but not with virus load and state of HBeAg/anti-HBe.