Despite therapy with potent antiviral agents, chronic hepatitis B (CHB) patients remain at high risk of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). While metabolites have been rediscovered as active drivers of biological processes including carcinogenesis, the specific metabolites modulating HCC risk in CHB patients are largely unknown. Here, we demonstrate that baseline plasma from CHB patients who later developed HCC during follow-up exhibits growth-promoting properties in a case-control design nested within a large-scale, prospective cohort. Metabolomics analysis reveals a reduction in long-chain acylcarnitines (LCACs) in the baseline plasma of patients with HCC development. LCACs preferentially inhibit the proliferation of HCC cells in vitro at a physiological concentration and prevent the occurrence of HCC in vivo without hepatorenal toxicity. Uptake and metabolism of circulating LCACs increase the intracellular level of acetyl coenzyme A, which upregulates histone H3 Lys14 acetylation at the promoter region of KLF6 gene and thereby activates KLF6/p21 pathway. Indeed, blocking LCAC metabolism attenuates the difference in KLF6/p21 expression induced by baseline plasma of HCC/non-HCC patients. The deficiency of circulating LCACs represents a driver of HCC in CHB patients with viral control. These insights provide a promising direction for developing therapeutic strategies to reduce HCC risk further in the antiviral era.

Existing nucleos（t）ide analogues and pegylated interferon exhibit limited efficacy in the functional cure of hepatitis B. Recently， small nucleic acid drugs， such as antisense oligonucleotides and small interfering RNAs， have brought unprecedented breakthroughs in the functional cure of hepatitis B with their brand-new mechanisms of action and remarkable efficacy in early clinical studies. Small nucleic acid drugs， such as antisense oligonucleotides and small interfering RNAs， can reduce the level of HBsAg and strive to achieve HBsAg seroclearance. The reduction in HBsAg may restore the hepatitis B-specific immune function of the body to some extent and may further transform the simple clearance of HBsAg into hard endpoints with clinical value， such as reducing hepatitis B-related liver events. By meticulously analyzing the dynamic trajectory of HBsAg alterations within the context of new drug applications and further optimizing combined treatment strategies and regimens， it is expected to transform the functional cure of hepatitis B into the ultimate goal of improving survival rates and quality of life.

Functional cure (i.e., clinical cure) of chronic hepatitis B (CHB) is a core research objective in the field of hepatology. With the revision of the Expert opinions on the technical guiding Principles for clinical trials of drugs in the treatment of chronic hepatitis B virus infection, this article concisely reviews the evolving concept of functional cure for hepatitis B, research progress on the dynamic trajectories and threshold of key serological markers (such as HBsAg/anti-HBs), strategies for safety evaluation of treatment discontinuation, and the importance of building a collaborative innovation ecosystem involving scientific research, industry, healthcare, policy, and societal forces. Through multidimensional technological breakthroughs and interdisciplinary collaboration, the functional cure rate of chronic hepatitis B infection is expected to improve significantly over the next 5-10 years, laying the foundation for achieving the World Health Organization (WHO)'s goal of eliminating viral hepatitis as a public health threat by 2030.

Hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) seroclearance, or s-loss, has traditionally been regarded as a key indicator of hepatitis B virus (HBV) functional cure. However, growing insights into HBV pathogenesis and treatment strategies have reshaped our understanding of the relationship between s-loss and functional cure. While an HBsAg level below 100 IU/mL is often used to define partial cure, it primarily reflects a therapeutic milestone that facilitates eventual s-loss rather than a definitive endpoint. New biomarkers such as serum HBV RNA and hepatitis B core-related antigen are promising but, due to limitations in sensitivity, are not yet adequate substitutes for s-loss in defining functional cure. Importantly, achieving s-loss alone does not guarantee functional cure. Other factors—such as HBeAg seroclearance, the durability of s-loss, and whether single timepoint of rebound ("Blips") are permissible—must be considered in evaluating functional cure. These evolving perspectives underscore the importance of consolidation therapy. Further researches are needed to elucidate the mechanisms between different therapies induced s-loss, the implications of lower detection limits for HBsAg, and the role of hepatitis B surface antibodies in seeking functional cure.

Objective:To explore the predictive value of hepatitis B surface antibody (HBsAb) quantitative level for achieving hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) seroclearance and serological conversion in patients with chronic hepatitis B (CHB) treated with nucleos(t)ide analogs (NAs) or interferon (IFN).Methods:A two-center prospective cohort study was conducted, including CHB patients from Nanfang Hospital Southern Medical University and Eastern Theater General Hospital treated with NAs and IFN. All patients were followed up once every three to six months. Basic clinical information and test results were collected at each follow-up. The presence or absence of HBsAg seroclearance and serological conversion rate was evaluated. HBsAg serological conversion was defined as HBsAg quantification continuously below the detection limit (<0.05 IU/mL) at two detection time points at least six months apart. HBsAg serological conversion was defined as HBsAb positivity (≥10 IU/L) at the same time as the first HBsAg seroclearance. The Kruskal-Wallis test was used to compare the quantitative data of multiple groups, and the Wilcoxon rank-sum test was used to compare the data between groups. The chi-square test was used for the count data, and the Fisher exact test was used when the chi-square test was not met. Univariate and multivariate Cox analysis was used to determine the predictors of the study endpoints, and stepwise regression was used for variable screening.Results:A total of 2 266 CHB cases were included, of which 86.5% (1 959/2 266) were NA antiviral-received population. The median treatment duration before baseline was 10.5 (2.5, 37.6) months, and the baseline HBsAg quantification was 3.1 (2.6, 3.5) log 10 IU/mL. A total of 68 cases (3.0%) had HBsAg seroclearance, and 44 cases (1.9%) achieved serological conversion after 85.0 (62.7, 97.3) months of prospective follow-up. The level and positivity rate of HBsAb showed a progressive increase 36 months before and significantly after HBsAg seroclearance. Cox regression analysis results showed that baseline HBsAb level was an independent predictor of HBsAg serological conversion ( HR=2.26, P=0.002) in the overall population, especially in the subgroup with HBsAg between 100 and 1 000 IU/mL, suggesting HBsAb level had important predictive value. In addition, the serological conversion development rate was significantly higher in the GOLDEN model favourable patients than in the unfavourable patients (11.5% vs. 0, P<0.001). Conclusion:The baseline HBsAb quantitative level can predict HBsAg seroclearance and serological conversion for patients with CHB receiving antiviral treatment, which is of significant value in long-term treatment monitoring.

Functional cure (i.e., clinical cure) of chronic hepatitis B (CHB) is a core research objective in the field of hepatology. With the revision of the Expert opinions on the technical guiding Principles for clinical trials of drugs in the treatment of chronic hepatitis B virus infection, this article concisely reviews the evolving concept of functional cure for hepatitis B, research progress on the dynamic trajectories and threshold of key serological markers (such as HBsAg/anti-HBs), strategies for safety evaluation of treatment discontinuation, and the importance of building a collaborative innovation ecosystem involving scientific research, industry, healthcare, policy, and societal forces. Through multidimensional technological breakthroughs and interdisciplinary collaboration, the functional cure rate of chronic hepatitis B infection is expected to improve significantly over the next 5-10 years, laying the foundation for achieving the World Health Organization (WHO)'s goal of eliminating viral hepatitis as a public health threat by 2030.

Hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) seroclearance, or s-loss, has traditionally been regarded as a key indicator of hepatitis B virus (HBV) functional cure. However, growing insights into HBV pathogenesis and treatment strategies have reshaped our understanding of the relationship between s-loss and functional cure. While an HBsAg level below 100 IU/mL is often used to define partial cure, it primarily reflects a therapeutic milestone that facilitates eventual s-loss rather than a definitive endpoint. New biomarkers such as serum HBV RNA and hepatitis B core-related antigen are promising but, due to limitations in sensitivity, are not yet adequate substitutes for s-loss in defining functional cure. Importantly, achieving s-loss alone does not guarantee functional cure. Other factors—such as HBeAg seroclearance, the durability of s-loss, and whether single timepoint of rebound ("Blips") are permissible—must be considered in evaluating functional cure. These evolving perspectives underscore the importance of consolidation therapy. Further researches are needed to elucidate the mechanisms between different therapies induced s-loss, the implications of lower detection limits for HBsAg, and the role of hepatitis B surface antibodies in seeking functional cure.

Objective:To explore the predictive value of hepatitis B surface antibody (HBsAb) quantitative level for achieving hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) seroclearance and serological conversion in patients with chronic hepatitis B (CHB) treated with nucleos(t)ide analogs (NAs) or interferon (IFN).Methods:A two-center prospective cohort study was conducted, including CHB patients from Nanfang Hospital Southern Medical University and Eastern Theater General Hospital treated with NAs and IFN. All patients were followed up once every three to six months. Basic clinical information and test results were collected at each follow-up. The presence or absence of HBsAg seroclearance and serological conversion rate was evaluated. HBsAg serological conversion was defined as HBsAg quantification continuously below the detection limit (<0.05 IU/mL) at two detection time points at least six months apart. HBsAg serological conversion was defined as HBsAb positivity (≥10 IU/L) at the same time as the first HBsAg seroclearance. The Kruskal-Wallis test was used to compare the quantitative data of multiple groups, and the Wilcoxon rank-sum test was used to compare the data between groups. The chi-square test was used for the count data, and the Fisher exact test was used when the chi-square test was not met. Univariate and multivariate Cox analysis was used to determine the predictors of the study endpoints, and stepwise regression was used for variable screening.Results:A total of 2 266 CHB cases were included, of which 86.5% (1 959/2 266) were NA antiviral-received population. The median treatment duration before baseline was 10.5 (2.5, 37.6) months, and the baseline HBsAg quantification was 3.1 (2.6, 3.5) log 10 IU/mL. A total of 68 cases (3.0%) had HBsAg seroclearance, and 44 cases (1.9%) achieved serological conversion after 85.0 (62.7, 97.3) months of prospective follow-up. The level and positivity rate of HBsAb showed a progressive increase 36 months before and significantly after HBsAg seroclearance. Cox regression analysis results showed that baseline HBsAb level was an independent predictor of HBsAg serological conversion ( HR=2.26, P=0.002) in the overall population, especially in the subgroup with HBsAg between 100 and 1 000 IU/mL, suggesting HBsAb level had important predictive value. In addition, the serological conversion development rate was significantly higher in the GOLDEN model favourable patients than in the unfavourable patients (11.5% vs. 0, P<0.001). Conclusion:The baseline HBsAb quantitative level can predict HBsAg seroclearance and serological conversion for patients with CHB receiving antiviral treatment, which is of significant value in long-term treatment monitoring.

Objective:To comprehensively evaluate the clinical value of Elecsys serum abnormal prothrombin (PIVKA-Ⅱ) test reagent for auxiliary diagnosis of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) in the Chinese population.Methods:A multicenter case-control design was used in the study. Samples from patients with first-time confirmed, diagnosed, and untreated HCC, benign liver disease and interfering controls were collected continuously. Elecsys PIVKA-II and alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) were tested for analysis. Various clinical details of the subjects were collected and analyzed. The efficacy of PIVKA-II (21.29 ng/ml) and AFP (400 ng/ml) for HCC diagnosis was calculated at specific positive cut-off values. Statistical analysis was performed using the Kruskal-Wallis test or receiver operating characteristic curve.Results:A total of 448 subjects were eventually enrolled from five centers, including 185 HCC cases. PIVKA-II had a higher diagnostic sensitivity and accuracy than AFP (84.86% vs. 30.81% and 89.01% vs. 63.66%) when the benign liver disease group was used as the control group, while the specificity was slightly lower. A sensitive analysis showed that PIVKA-II had a sensitivity of >80% at this specific positive cut-off value in the subgroup of AFP-negative subjects, patients with different etiologies, and HCC patients with multiple Barcelona Clinic liver cancer stages (including early-stage HCC). At the same time, the PIVKA-II subject had a slightly higher area under the receiver operating characteristic curve than the AFP (0.920 0 vs. 0.880 9).Conclusion:The clinical efficacy of Elecsys PIVKA-Ⅱ is good and stable in the Chinese population. Additionally, it has the clinical potential to improve the current missed diagnosis status of AFP-negative HCC and HCC monitoring at an early stage, as well as the effectiveness of accuracy promotion for HCC auxiliary diagnosis in China.

Chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection remains a pivotal global public health concern. Attaining a functional cure for hepatitis B continues to be a hot and difficult issue that requires immediate attention in clinical practice. There are currently nucleos(t)ide analogues (NAs) that can persistently suppress HBV DNA; however, the functional cure rate of pegylated interferon alfa (PEG-IFN-α) alone or in combination with NAs has not yet met clinical needs. The research and development on novel mechanisms for HBV antiviral drugs, especially small nucleic acid drugs, has brought breakthroughs to the functional cure of hepatitis B. The functional cure trajectory mapping and its prediction model can guide the selection of clinical treatment strategies based on the longitudinal data for HBsAg at various time intervals. The personalized management of hepatitis B patients can be optimized by utilizing varying HBsAg levels as a key watershed to aid in the screening of subjects in clinical trials.