The utility of M30 and M65 antigen concentration levels for predicting degree of hepatic injury in patients with chronic hepatitis B infection

Abstract

Background and Aims: We aimed to determine the utility of M30and M65 antigen concentration levels for predicting hepatic injury inchronic hepatitis B disease. Materials and Methods: This study comparedconcentration levels of M30 and M65 antigens between patientswith hepatitis B e-antigen negative chronic hepatitis B and healthysubjects. Furthermore, the correlations between either M30 or M65antigen levels and aspartate aminotransferase, alanine aminotransferase,HBV-DNA, histological activity index and fibrosis were evaluatedin the patient group. Results: A total of 81 subjects were included inthe study; 50 patients with HBeAg negative chronic hepatitis B and31 healthy subjects. The concentration of the M30 antigen was significantlyhigher in the chronic hepatitis B patient group than in thehealthy subject group (p <0.05). However, there was no difference inM65 antigen concentration values between the two groups (p >0.05).Correlation analysis performed in the patient group revealed a significantcorrelation between M30 antigen concentration levels and aspartateaminotransferase levels (r: 0.207, p <0.05), and between M65antigen concentration levels and HBV-DNA levels (r: 0.204, p <0.05).There was no significant correlation observed between M30 or M65antigen concentration levels and both the histological activity index andfibrosis. Discussion: The presence of high M30 antigen levels in HBeAgnegative chronic hepatitis B patients may suggest that M30 antigenconcentration might be beneficial in disease monitoring and evaluationof treatment efficacy. This observation must be tested further inmore comprehensive studies. However, the absence of a significantcorrelation between the concentration levels of either antigen or boththe histological activity index and fibrosis suggests that pathologicalexamination is unique in detecting hepatic injury.