OBJECTIVETo assess the value of quantitative analysis of hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) levels in the diagnosis and therapeutic evaluations in patients with chronic hepatitis B (CHB).

METHODSAccording to the staging criteria defined by the American Association of Liver Diseases, 96 patients with CHB admitted in Zhujiang Hospital were classified in immune-tolerant (IT), HBeAg-positive hepatitis (EPH), inactive carrier (IC) and HBeAg-negative hepatitis (ENH) phases. Serum HBsAg, HBV-DNA and ALT levels were quantified and their correlations were evaluated in each phase of infection.

RESULTSThe mean HBsAg titers (measured in log10U/L) differed significantly between the phases of CHB (4.12 in IT, 4.02 in EPH, 2.85 in EPH, and 3.29 in ENH). The correlation coefficient of HBsAg with HBV-DNA was 0.6828 in IT, 0.5759 in EPH, 0.3280 in IC, and 0.1083 in ENH. Serum HBsAg titers were significantly higher in HBeAg-positive patients than in HBeAg-negative patients. No correlation was found between HBsAg level and ALT in each phase of CHB.

CONCLUSIONThe median baseline serum HBsAg levels vary between different phases of CHB in Guangzhou, suggesting the value of HBsAg in accurate classification of hepatitis B patients and evaluation of the therapeutic effect and outcomes of the patients.