Objective: To analyze the spontaneous decline of HBV DNA in chronic hepatitis B patients in 12 weeks.
Methods: Chronic hepatitis B patients not receiving antiviral treatment from 2003 to 2005 were divided into two groups according to the baseline value of ALT and TBil. Spontaneous decline of HBV DNA were retrospected, and the influence of the baseline value of ALT and TBil on spontaneous decline of HBV DNA was analyzed.
Results: Total of 213 chronic hepatitis B patients (male 174, female 39, aged from 18 to 65) were recruited in this study, including 124 mild and moderate type of hepatitis B, 89 severe type of hepatitis B, and 19 patients (8.92%) were lost at the end of the 12th week. The mean baseline value of HBV DNA of all the patients was (6.66+/-1.03) log10 copies/ml, at 12 week the mean value of HBV DNA of all the patients was (5.98+/-1.53) log10 copies/ml (compared to baseline P<0.01), the decline value of HBV DNA was (0.68+/-1.46) log10 copies/ml. The mean baseline value of HBV DNA of patients with the severe type of hepatitis B was lower than that with the mild or moderate type of hepatitis B patients [(6.45+/-0.99) log10 copies/ml and (6.81+/-1.04) log10 copies/ml respectively] (P<0.05). However, there was no significant difference in the mean and the declined value of HBV DNA between these two groups at the 12th week (P<0.05). At the 12th week, the baseline values of ALT and TBil were higher in patients with HBV DNA<or=3 log10 copies/ml than those in patients with HBV DNA>3 log10 copies/ml (P>0.05); And there were no significant difference in the baseline values of ALT and TBil between patients with the declined value of HBV DNA>or=2 log10 copies/ml and patients with declined value of HBV DNA less than 2 log10 copies/ml. At the 12th week, the mean and the declined value of HBV DNA were similar between the patients with ALT<or=5xULN and the patients with ALT>5xULN at baseline. The mean baseline value of HBV DNA of patients in the group of patients whose baseline value of ALT<or=5xULN while TBil<or=5xULN was higher than that in the group of patients whose baseline value of ALT>5xULN while TBil>5xULN, ALT<or=5xULN while TBil>5xULN, ALT>5xULN while TBil<or=5xULN (P<0.05 respectively), there were no significant difference in the rate of the HBV DNA<or=3 log10 copies/ml and the rate of the declining value of HBV DNA<or=2 log10 copies/ml between the groups at 12 week (P>0.05 respectively).
Conclusions: There is spontaneous decline of HBV DNA in patients with chronic hepatitis B in 12 weeks, but the level of liver injury is not correlated with the level of spontaneous decline of HBV DNA in chronic hepatitis B patients in 12 weeks.