Evidence map›Paper›PMID 32462119›Full record

ArticleJHEP reports : innovation in hepatology2020

Rebound of HBV DNA after cessation of nucleos/tide analogues in chronic hepatitis B patients with undetectable covalently closed.

Ching-Lung Lai, Danny Ka-Ho Wong, Gerald Tsz-Yau Wong, Wai-Kay Seto, James Fung, Man-Fung Yuen

Open access · goldAbstract read
In one paragraph

Article in JHEP reports : innovation in hepatology, 2020. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 33 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
33citing papers in PubMed
3.9field-weighted citation impact, top 5% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

33 citing papers in PubMed, 45 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Article
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  6. HBVZ10, an AAV8 vector-based new HBV therapy candidate for cccDNA elimination.Molecular therapy. Methods & clinical development · 2025
    Article
  7. [The partial cure represents an intermediate endpoint on the path to a functional cure, not an ideal endpoint].Zhonghua gan zang bing za zhi = Zhonghua ganzangbing zazhi = Chinese journal of hepatology · 2025
    Article
  8. Article
  9. Article
  10. Functional Cure for Hepatitis B Virus: Challenges and Achievements.International journal of molecular sciences · 2025
    Review
  11. Article
  12. Review
  13. Article
  14. Review
  15. Article
  16. Review
  17. Article
  18. Long-term entecavir therapy of chronic hepatitis B in real-life setting-Importance of quantitative HBsAg level.Indian journal of gastroenterology : official journal of the Indian Society of Gastroenterology · 2024
    Article
  19. Article
  20. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

6 authors at 2 institutions in 2 countries.

Ching-Lung LaiDepartment of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Queen Mary Hospital, Hong Kong.
Danny Ka-Ho WongDepartment of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Queen Mary Hospital, Hong Kong.
Gerald Tsz-Yau WongDepartment of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Queen Mary Hospital, Hong Kong.
Wai-Kay SetoDepartment of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Queen Mary Hospital, Hong Kong.
James FungDepartment of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Queen Mary Hospital, Hong Kong.
Man-Fung YuenDepartment of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Queen Mary Hospital, Hong Kong.
University of Hong Kong · HKQueen Mary Hospital · CN

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

BACKGROUND &

aimsNucleos(t)ide analogues (NUCs) effectively suppress serum HBV DNA. Previously, we have identified 21 patients with undetectable covalently closed circular DNA (cccDNA) upon long-term NUC therapy. This study investigated the effect of NUC withdrawal in patients with undetectable cccDNA.

methodsNineteen patients on long term NUCs (median 13.4 years) were recruited: 13 were randomized to discontinue NUCs; 6 to continue taking NUCs. All had undetectable cccDNA at the time of last liver biopsy (median time 2.9 years prior to randomization). Serum HBV DNA, hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg), hepatitis B core-related antigen (HBcrAg), liver biochemistry, and serum HBV RNA were monitored.

resultsAt the time of randomization, all patients had undetectable serum HBV DNA and HBV RNA. Twelve of the 13 patients had HBV DNA rebound to 100 IU/ml within 20 weeks of NUC discontinuation. The thirteenth patient had HBV DNA rebound at week 70. Three patients experienced biochemical flares after re-treatment which subsequently resolved. There was no significant association between the time of HBV DNA rebound and baseline HBsAg, HBcrAg and alanine aminotransferase, duration of treatment, and age at which treatment was stopped (all

conclusionsIn patients with undetectable intrahepatic cccDNA, virologic rebound still occurred after NUC cessation. At the rebound of HBV DNA, the kinetics of HBsAg production were independent of those of viral DNA replication. Additional studies are required to determine the factors that may predict virologic rebound and when NUCs can be discontinued in HBsAg-positive patients with chronic hepatitis B. LAY SUMMARY: It has been shown that following long-term nucleos(t)ide analogue treatment for chronic hepatitis B, some patients have undetectable levels of viral DNA in their livers. We tested the results of withdrawing nucleos(t)ide analogue treatment in these patients and found that viral relapse could occur in patients with undetectable viral DNA. Further research is required to determine whether nucleos(t)ide analogue treatment can be discontinued in specific patients with chronic hepatitis B.

Indexed as

ALT, alanine aminotransferaseanti-HBe, antibody to HBeAgantiviral therapycccDNA, covalently closed circular DNACHB, chronic hepatitis BChronic hepatitis BETV, entecavirHBcrAg, hepatitis B core-related antigenHBeAg, hepatitis B e antigenHBsAg, hepatitis B surface antigenhepatitis B virus DNA reboundLdT, telbivudineNUCs, nucleos(t)ide analoguesstopping therapyTDF, tenofovir disoproxil fumarateULN, upper limit of normal

Identifiers

PMID32462119
PMCPMC7242874
OpenAlexW3013189014

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY-NC-ND
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.