Evaluation Of The Value Of Quantitative Assay Of Hepatitis B Virus Covalently Closed Circular DNA In Chronic Hepatitis B

[Objective] With the knowledge gained from the molecular biology of HBV infection, it was shown that HBV covalently closed circular DNA (cccDNA) played a key role in viral persistence, viral reaction after treatment withdrawal, and drug resistance. Despite the crucial role of cccDNA in persistent infection and the importance of understanding clearance mechanisms, few data have been collected from patients. To date, our knowledge about cccDNA has been obtained primarily from studies of the woodchuk and duck hepatitis B virus models.The aim of this study was to illuminate the relationship between the quantitation of liver tissue HBVcccDNA, the quantitation of tissue and serum HBVDNA, serum HBsAg tite, and liver damage, and then to evaluate the value of quantitation of HBVcccDNA by real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) in the diagnosis and treatment of chronic hepatitis B (CHB).[Methods] We screened 75 patients with CHB (including 59 men and 16 women) aged 17～48 years old (average 33) who were admitted to Shandong Provincial Hospital between January 2004 and August 2004. All patients were diagnosed according to Proposal of Prevention and Treatment for Viral Hepatitis amended in the Tenth National Academic Conference for Viral Hepatitis in 2000, hepatitis A, C, D, E and hepatic lesion caused by other factors excluded. All patients failed to receive antiviral treatment six months before hospitalization. Based on the laboratory examination results of HBeAg and anti-HBe, the patients were divided into...