Background: Published data regarding correlation between quantitative HBsAg and HBV DNA and its dependence on HBeAgstatus, has conflicting results.
Aims: This study aimed to investigate correlation between quantitative HBsAg and serum HBV DNA in treatment naive chronic hepatitis B (CHB) patients.
Methods: This was a prospective study evaluating treatment naive CHB patients visiting our department of gastroenterology at our tertiary care centre between June 2017 - May 2018. Demographic details and laboratory parameters like HBV DNA, quantitative HBsAg (qHBsAg), HBeAg status, aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alanine aminotransferase(ALT), total bilirubin, albumin were noted.
Results: Out of total 90 treatment-naive CHB patients (median age 23 years, interquartile range (IQR) 21.75-31.75 years, 73 male), 24(26.67%) patients were HBeAg positive and 66(73.33%) were HBeAg negative. In the study group, median HBV DNA was 1.1 x 103( IQR2.9 x 102 -5.5 x 103 ) IU/ml and median qHBsAg 9.7 x 103 ( IQR 4.5 x 103 - 1.4 x 104)IU/ml. There was strong correlation between serum qHBsAg level and serum HBV DNA inHBeAg positive group(r 0.961, p <0.001s) while amongst HBeAg negative patients there was no correlation(r -0.062 , p 0.622). Overall there was no correlation between serum quantitative HBsAg levels and serum HBV DNA levels(r -0.048, p 0.65).
Conclusion: Quantitative HBsAg is more related with HBV DNA levels in initial replicative phase than in later non-replicative phases and is less likely to replace serum HBV DNA test in the low replicative stage of CHB.