SynthesisBMJ open2025
Prevalence of low-level viremia in the treatment of chronic hepatitis B in China: a systematic review and meta-analysis.
Synthesis in BMJ open, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers.
What it found
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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.
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.
Who cites it
2 citing papers in PubMed.
- Serological and Demographic Correlates of HBV DNA Detection Below the Limit of Quantification in Treated Chronic Hepatitis B and HBsAg-Negative Patients.Biomedicines · 2026Article
- Occult hepatitis B virus infection among hepatitis B surface antigen negative vaccinated healthcare workers in East Gojjam zone hospitals.Scientific reports · 2026Article
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
5 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
objectivesLow-level viremia (LLV) is a risk factor affecting the prognosis of patients with chronic hepatitis B (CHB). The objective of this study was to systematically assess the prevalence of LLV, thereby providing robust evidence-based medical insights into effective clinical interventions and preventative measures against LLV.
designSystematic review and meta-analysis. DATA SOURCES: A comprehensive literature search was conducted across various databases, including China National Knowledge Infrastructure, Wanfang Data (Wanfang), China Science And Technology Journal Database (VIP-CSTJ), China Biology Medicine disc (CBMdisc), PubMed, Embase, Web of Science and the Cochrane Library, spanning from the inception of these databases up to 5 January 2024. ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA: The research type included either a cross-sectional study or a cohort study focusing on the Chinese population, with the outcome being LLV. The languages were limited to both Chinese and English. Studies with any of the following were excluded: subjects with other comorbidities, original articles inaccessible or data unavailable, and duplicate publications. DATA EXTRACTION AND SYNTHESIS: Literature management used EndNote X9.1, and an information extraction table was created using Microsoft Excel to record research information, including first author, year of publication and study type. The prevalence of LLV was assessed via meta-analysis. Meta-analyses were conducted in RStudio using the 'metaprop ()' function. Subgroup analysis and sensitivity analysis were used to identify sources of heterogeneity, and funnel plots and AS-Thompson tests were employed to evaluate publication bias.
results18 studies, encompassing a total sample of 9773 patients, were included in the analysis. Of these, 3336 patients were identified with LLV. The meta-analysis revealed that the prevalence of LLV among treated CHB patients stands at 33.6% (95% CI 30.2 to 37.0). The antigen status, antiviral treatment regimen (type of drugs and nucleos(t)ide analogues (NAs)), treatment duration, medication adherence and baseline hepatitis B virus DNA levels all affected the prevalence of LLV. Sensitivity analysis further corroborated the stability of these meta-analysis findings. The funnel plot and AS-Thompson test indicated no significant publication bias (t = -0.01, p=0.995).
conclusionsThe prevalence of LLV among CHB patients was established at 33.7% (95% CI 29.8% to 37.6%). Thus, it is imperative for clinical decision-makers to consider the various influencing factors of LLV when formulating treatment plans in order to mitigate any potential adverse outcomes.
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