Evidence map›Paper›PMID 35978283›Full record

ArticleBMC gastroenterology2022

Effectiveness of antiviral treatment in HBeAg-negative chronic hepatitis B patients with normal or mildly elevated alanine aminotransferase: a retrospective study.

Sufang Wei, Meixin Hu, Hongjie Chen, Qiuli Xie, Peng Wang, Hong Li, Jie Peng

Open access · goldAbstract read
In one paragraph

Article in BMC gastroenterology, 2022. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 6 papers, 2 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
6citing papers in PubMed, 2 pooled it
1.1field-weighted citation impact, top 23% 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

6 citing papers in PubMed, 2 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 7 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Pooled it
  2. Guideline
  3. Article
  4. Histopathological Features and Antiviral Efficacy in Patients Over 30 Years Old with Chronic Hepatitis B in the Indeterminate Phase.The Turkish journal of gastroenterology : the official journal of Turkish Society of Gastroenterology · 2025
    Article
  5. Article
  6. 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

7 authors at 1 institution in 1 country.

Sufang WeiState Key Laboratory of Organ Failure Research, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Viral Hepatitis Research, Department of Infectious Diseases, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, 510080, China.
Meixin HuState Key Laboratory of Organ Failure Research, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Viral Hepatitis Research, Department of Infectious Diseases, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, 510080, China.
Hongjie ChenState Key Laboratory of Organ Failure Research, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Viral Hepatitis Research, Department of Infectious Diseases, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, 510080, China.
Qiuli XieDepartment of Infectious Diseases, Shunde Hospital, Southern Medical University, Foshan, 528300, China.
Peng WangDepartment of Infectious Diseases, Shunde Hospital, Southern Medical University, Foshan, 528300, China.
Hong LiDepartment of Infectious Diseases, Shunde Hospital, Southern Medical University, Foshan, 528300, China.
Jie PengState Key Laboratory of Organ Failure Research, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Viral Hepatitis Research, Department of Infectious Diseases, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, 510080, China. pjie138@163.com.
Southern Medical University · CN

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundThere are inadequate data and no histological evidence regarding the effects of antiviral treatment for hepatitis B e-antigen (HBeAg)-negative chronic hepatitis B (CHB) patients with normal or mildly elevated alanine aminotransferase (ALT). This study investigated the effects of antiviral treatment on these patients.

methodsWe retrospectively analysed the outcomes of antiviral treatment for HBeAg-negative CHB patients with normal or mildly elevated ALT who were treated with nucleoside/nucleotide analogues (NAs) for up to 96 weeks.

resultsA total of 128 patients were enrolled; 74 patients had normal ALT and 54 patients had mildly elevated ALT. The total cumulative rates of viral suppression were 64.06%, 81.97%, and 96.39%, at weeks 24, 48, and 96, respectively. The cumulative rates of viral suppression for the normal and mildly elevated ALT groups were 67.85% and 58.97%, 86.39% and 76.31%, and 93.13% and 97.04% at weeks 24, 48, and 96, respectively. The serum HBV DNA levels at week 12 and hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) levels at week 24 were significant predictors of the 96-week virological response. Of the 128 patients, 54 with normal ALT and 33 with mildly elevated ALT underwent FibroScan at baseline. Significant fibrosis (F ≥ 2) was found in 44.4% (n = 24) and 51.5% (n = 17) of the patients in the normal ALT group and mildly elevated ALT group, respectively. Compared with the values at baseline, liver stiffness values significantly decreased at week 48 (8.12 kPa vs. 6.57 kPa; p < 0.001) and week 96 (8.87 kPa vs. 6.43 kPa; p < 0.001), respectively.

conclusionsHBeAg-negative CHB patients with normal ALT could benefit from antiviral therapy with NAs, similar to patients with mildly elevated ALT. Antiviral treatment is strongly recommended for HBeAg-negative CHB patients with normal ALT. Additionally, significant liver fibrosis is not rare in HBeAg-negative CHB patients with ALT less than two-times the upper limit of normal, and FibroScan should be performed regularly for these patients.

Indexed as

Hepatitis B, ChronicAlanineAlanine TransaminaseAntiviral AgentsDNA, ViralHepatitis B e AntigensHepatitis B Surface AntigensHepatitis B virusHumansNucleosidesRetrospective StudiesAlanineAlanine TransaminaseAntiviral AgentsDNA, ViralHepatitis B e AntigensHepatitis B Surface AntigensNucleosidesAlanine aminotransferaseChronic hepatitis BFibroScanHepatitis B virus DNANucleoside/nucleotide analogues

Identifiers

PMID35978283
PMCPMC9387004
OpenAlexW4292092858

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
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.