ArticleWorld journal of hepatology2025
Clinical features of abnormal α-fetoprotein in 15 patients with chronic viral hepatitis B after treatment with antiviral drugs.
Article in World journal of hepatology, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.
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1 citing paper in PubMed.
- A machine learning predictive model for staging chronic hepatitis B inflammation based on non-invasive metrics.Scientific reports · 2026Article
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6 authors.
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Abstract
backgroundLiver function of chronic hepatitis B (CHB) patients is essentially normal after treatment with antiviral drugs. In rare cases, persistently abnormally elevated α-fetoprotein (AFP) is seen in CHB patients following long-term antiviral treatment. However, in the absence of imaging evidence of liver cancer, a reasonable explanation for this phenomenon is still lacking.
aimTo explore the causes of abnormal AFP in patients with CHB who were not diagnosed with liver cancer.
methodsFrom November 2019 to May 2023, 15 patients with CHB after antiviral treatment and elevated AFP were selected. Clinical data and quality indicators related to laboratory testing, imaging data, and pathological data were obtained through inpatient medical records.
resultsAll patients had increased AFP and significantly elevated IgG. Cancer was excluded by imaging examination. Only four patients had elevated alanine aminotransferase, 10 had elevated aspartate aminotransferase, nine had elevated total bilirubin, and two had antinuclear antibodies. The liver biopsy and histopathological examination indicated that 14 patients had rosette, moderate, or higher interfacial inflammation, lymphocyte infiltration, and severe hepatic fibers (11 cases), which was consistent with the pathological features of autoimmune hepatitis (AIH). After 8-12 week of hormone therapy, the levels of AFP and IgG, and liver function returned to normal (
conclusionFor patients with CHB and elevated AFP after antiviral treatment, autoimmune hepatitis should be considered. CHB with AIH is clinically insidious and difficult to detect, and prone to progression to cirrhosis. Liver puncture pathological examination should be performed when necessary to confirm diagnosis.
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