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Review

Viral Biomarkers in Chronic HBeAg Negative HBV Infection

Second Department of Medicine and Laboratory, Hippokrateio Hospital, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Athens 11527, Greece
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Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Genes 2018, 9(10), 469; https://doi.org/10.3390/genes9100469
Received: 28 August 2018 / Revised: 20 September 2018 / Accepted: 21 September 2018 / Published: 27 September 2018
Viral biomarkers are important tools for monitoring chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) hepatitis B early antigen (HBeAg) negative infection, both in its natural course as well as during and after treatment. The biomarkers consist of antibodies against viral epitopes, viral proteins, and molecular surrogate markers of the quantity and transcriptional activity of the stable episomal HBV covalently closed circular DNA (cccDNA) which is located in the nuclei of the infected hepatocytes. HBV deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) or else viral load measurement in plasma or serum is a marker of HBV replication of major clinical importance. HBV DNA is used for staging and treatment monitoring as described in international scientific guidelines. Quantification of HBV antigens, mainly hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) as well as Hepatitis B core related antigen (HBcrAg), play an important yet secondary role, especially in cases of low or undetectable HBV DNA and has been evaluated for the classification of the inactive carrier state, as a predictor of subsequent HBsAg clearance, treatment outcome, and development of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). The measurement of the replicative intermediate HBV RNA in serum is currently evaluated and may also prove to be a significant biomarker particularly in patients treated with nucleot(s)ide analogs. This review focuses on the viral biomarkers mentioned above and their role in HBV, HBeAg negative, infection. View Full-Text
Keywords: HBV; biomarker; HBV DNA; HBV RNA; HBsAg; HBcrAg; anti-HBe HBV; biomarker; HBV DNA; HBV RNA; HBsAg; HBcrAg; anti-HBe
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MDPI and ACS Style

Hadziyannis, E.; Laras, A. Viral Biomarkers in Chronic HBeAg Negative HBV Infection. Genes 2018, 9, 469. https://doi.org/10.3390/genes9100469

AMA Style

Hadziyannis E, Laras A. Viral Biomarkers in Chronic HBeAg Negative HBV Infection. Genes. 2018; 9(10):469. https://doi.org/10.3390/genes9100469

Chicago/Turabian Style

Hadziyannis, Emilia, and Andreas Laras. 2018. "Viral Biomarkers in Chronic HBeAg Negative HBV Infection" Genes 9, no. 10: 469. https://doi.org/10.3390/genes9100469

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