Antiviral Agents ; therapeutic use ; DNA, Viral ; blood ; Hepatitis B e Antigens ; blood ; Hepatitis B virus ; drug effects ; immunology ; Hepatitis B, Chronic ; drug therapy ; immunology ; virology ; Humans

<b>OBJECTIVEb>To use a lectin microarray to study the alteration of glycan affinity profiles of serum glycoproteins during the hepatitis B e antigen (HBeAg) and hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) seroconversion in patients with chronic hepatitis B (CHB) following treatment with antiviral therapy,and to explore its biological significance.

<b>METHODSb>CHB patients were divided into the following four groups:untreated HBeAg-positive,HBeAg seroconversion after anti-HBV therapy,HBsAg loss after anti-HBV therapy,and healthy individuals (controls).Serum samples were collected from each participant,depleted of high abundance proteins and analyzed by a lectin microarray containing 50 lectins.The lectin-affinity glycan profiles of serum proteins were partially verified by lectin blotting.Between-group differences were analyzed by one-way analysis of variance,and pairwise comparisons were carried out with the Student-Newman-Keuls (SNK) method.

<b>RESULTSb>The results from the lectin microarray and lectin blotting assay showed significantly reduced affinity for 16 lectins in the untreated HBeAg-positive group compared to the control group (P less than 0.05);in addition,the specific glycan profiles of the untreated HBeAg-positive group included decreased terminal and core fructose,GalNAc alpha-Thr/Ser (T,Tn-antigen),GalNac alpha,terminal beta1-4,and beta-D galactose,bisecting and/or GlcNAc,mannose and Sia.However,the HBeAg seroconversion after anti-HBV therapy group showed enhanced binding of PSA,MPL and the above-mentioned 16 lectins (P less than 0.05),suggesting that the reduced serum glycoprotein glycan structures returned to normal or slightly higher than healthy levels after the therapy-induced seroconversion.Comparison of the group with HBsAg loss after anti-HBV therapy to the group with HBeAg seroconversion after anti-HBV therapy showed the binding ability of ten lectins (AAL,ACL,HAL,HPL,RCA-I,LEL,STL,PHA-E,NML and PCL) were weakened to near control levels and six lectins (VAL,LCA,GNL,PSA,MPL and JAC) were significantly strengthened (all P less than 0.05). These findings implied that the glycan containing terminal fructose, GalNacalpha, terminal beta1-4 galactose,and bisecting GlcNAc glycan structures dropped to near control levels, while the terminal beta-D-galactose residues and core fructose structure increased significantly.

<b>CONCLUSIONb>The glycan structures of serum glycoproteins are closely related to HBeAg and HBsAg seroconversion in CHB patients.It is possible that a special lectin binding glycan involving the terminal beta-D-galactose residues and core fructose may act as sugar markers associated with the disappearance of serum HBsAg during anti-HBV therapy for CHB.

Antiviral Agents ; therapeutic use ; Galactose ; Glycoproteins ; blood ; Hepatitis B e Antigens ; Hepatitis B, Chronic ; drug therapy ; Humans ; Phytohemagglutinins ; Polysaccharides ; analysis

Antiviral Agents ; therapeutic use ; DNA, Viral ; blood ; Hepatitis B e Antigens ; blood ; Hepatitis B, Chronic ; complications ; drug therapy ; virology ; Humans ; Lamivudine ; therapeutic use ; Liver Cirrhosis ; drug therapy

DNA, Viral ; blood ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; therapeutic use ; Hepatitis B Surface Antigens ; blood ; Hepatitis B e Antigens ; blood ; Hepatitis B virus ; isolation & purification ; Hepatitis B, Chronic ; drug therapy ; Humans ; Phytotherapy

<b>OBJECTIVEb>To detect serum interleukin-21 (IL-21) levels in patients with chronic hepatitis B receiving different therapeutic regimens.

<b>METHODSb>A total of 198 patients with inactive chronic hepatitis B were divided into 3 groups according to the therapeutic regimens, namely interferon (IFN)-treated group (IFN group, n∓38), nucleoside analogue-treated group (NA group, n∓72) and untreated group (control group, n∓88). IL-21 and serum hepatitis B virus (HBV) markers were detected in these patients using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), and the liver function indices were measured with an auto-biochemical analyzer.

<b>RESULTSb>The serum IL-21 levels in Con and IFN groups were significantly higher than those in NA group (102.29∓14.03, 123.01∓38.26, and 48.10∓7.06 pg/ml, respectively, P<0.05). When all the patients were regrouped according to the status of HBeAg, serum IL-21 level was 114.83∓19.88 pg/ml in HBeAg-negative group (n∓105), significantly higher than that of 61.53∓6.61 pg/ml in HBeAg-positive group (n∓93) (P<0.05). Bivariate correlation analysis showed no significant correlations between IL-21 and liver function indices.

<b>CONCLUSIONb>The immunomodulator IFN might be capable of increasing serum IL-21 levels, while nucleoside analogues can decrease IL-21 level in patients with chronic hepatitis B. HBeAg-negative patients have a significantly higher serum IL-21 level, suggesting that the expression of HBeAg might result in IL-21 depression.

Adult ; Female ; Hepatitis B e Antigens ; blood ; Hepatitis B, Chronic ; blood ; drug therapy ; Humans ; Interferons ; therapeutic use ; Interleukins ; blood ; Male ; Nucleosides ; therapeutic use

<b>OBJECTIVEb>To evaluate the relationship between changes and clinical significance of serum glutamyl transpeptidase (GGT) and the degree of liver lesions in chronic hepatitis B (CHB).

<b>METHODSb>Examinations of serum ALT, AST, GGT levels and liver biopsy were carried out and classification and staging of liver fibrosis and inflammation were performed for 70 patients with CHB. The relationship between ALT, AST, GGT and CHB was analyzed.

<b>RESULTSb>(1) ALT, AST and GGT increased with the degree of inflammation and fibrosis, but their levels declined with the degree of G4 and S4. The correlation coefficients of ALT and GGT, AST and GGT were (0.322 and 0.328, P less than 0.05). With liver-protective treatment, in the cases with mild CHB, ALT was normalized quickly but GGT remained at a lower level. While ALT declined, GGT was still at a relatively high level for moderate and severe CHB cases, among them the level of GGT fluctuated.

<b>CONCLUSIONb>Serum GGT reflects the degree of liver inflammation more accurately than ALT and AST do and GGT activity can provide important evidence for clinical assessment of chronic hepatitis B.

Adult ; Alanine Transaminase ; blood ; Aspartate Aminotransferases ; blood ; Female ; Hepatitis B, Chronic ; drug therapy ; enzymology ; Humans ; Male ; gamma-Glutamyltransferase ; blood

Drug Therapy, Combination ; Follow-Up Studies ; Hepatitis B e Antigens ; blood ; Hepatitis B, Chronic ; drug therapy ; Humans ; Lamivudine ; administration & dosage ; Thymus Hormones ; administration & dosage ; Vidarabine Phosphate ; administration & dosage

<b>OBJECTIVEb>To compare the efficacy and safety of Stronger Neo-Minophagen C (SNMC) in the treatment of chronic hepatitis B.

<b>METHODSb>We searched MEDLINE, EMBASE, CBM, and CNKI up to December, 2012 to identify randomized controlled trials (RCTs) comparing Stronger Neo-Minophagen C plus other therapy versus others therapy for chronic hepatitis B. Two reviewers independently assessed the risk of bias and extracted data from the included RCTs according to the Cochrane Reviewers Handbook 5.1.0. Meta-analyses were performed using RevMan 5.1 software.

<b>RESULTSb>Thirty-one trials involving 2753 patients were included in the analysis. The results of meta-analyses showed that SNMC improved hepatic functions of the patients by reducing ALT (MD=-31.63, 95% CI: -51.57, -11.70), AST (MD=-18.70, 95% CI:-25.10, -12.30), TBIL (MD=-12.17, 95% CI: -17.63,-6.71), HA (MD=-94.89, 95% CI: -125.19, -64.60), LN (MD=-40.08, 95% CI: -52.38,-27.78), IV-C (MD=-50.61, 95% CI:-63.40, -37.81), PC-III (MD=-49.71, 95% CI: -71.72, -27.69) as compared with the control group. The seroconversion rate of HBeAg (OR=2.23, 95% CI: 1.70, 2.94), HBV-DNA (OR=2.20, 95% CI: 1.70, 2.84), HBsAg (OR=2.25, 95% CI: 1.24 , 4.07), total response rate (OR=4.37, 95% CI: 2.62, 7.28), and ALT normalization rate (OR=3.77, 95% CI: 2.46, 5.79) were all significantly higher in the combined therapy group than in the control group.

<b>CONCLUSIONb>SNMC plus other therapy is more effective than other therapy alone in improving the hepatic function and hepatic fibrosis and increasing hepatic seroconversion rate in patients with chronic hepatitis B without causing serious adverse events. But considering the low quality of the included studies, the results should be interpreted with caution and awaits further confirmation by high-quality, large-scale RCTs.

Cysteine ; therapeutic use ; Drug Combinations ; Glycine ; therapeutic use ; Glycyrrhetinic Acid ; analogs & derivatives ; therapeutic use ; Hepatitis B Surface Antigens ; blood ; Hepatitis B e Antigens ; blood ; Hepatitis B, Chronic ; drug therapy ; Humans ; Liver Cirrhosis ; drug therapy ; Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic

No abstract available.
Antiviral Agents/*therapeutic use ; Carcinoma, Hepatocellular/*virology ; Female ; Hepatitis B Surface Antigens/*blood ; Hepatitis B, Chronic/*blood/*drug therapy ; Humans ; Liver Neoplasms/*virology ; Male

Adult ; Aged ; Female ; Hepatitis B e Antigens ; blood ; Hepatitis B, Chronic ; blood ; drug therapy ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Thymidine ; analogs & derivatives ; therapeutic use ; Treatment Outcome ; Young Adult