Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40845996›Full record

Observational studyThe Journal of infection2025

Evaluation of Hepatitis B core-related antigen (HBcrAg) as a biomarker in cohorts from the United Kingdom and South Africa.

Louise O Downs, Marion Delphin, Marije van Schalkwyk, Susan Hugo, Sheila F Lumley, Elizabeth Waddilove, Tingyan Wang, Jacqueline Martin, Catherine de Lara, Arran Babbs and 13 more

Abstract readObservational Study
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Observational study in The Journal of infection, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
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

1 citing paper in PubMed.

  1. Review
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

23 authors.

Louise O DownsNuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, UK; Department of Infectious Diseases and Microbiology, Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Oxford, UK.
Marion DelphinThe Francis Crick Institute, 1 Midland Road, London, UK.
Marije van SchalkwykDivision of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, Stellenbosch University and Tygerberg Hospital, Cape Town, South Africa.
Susan HugoDivision of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, Stellenbosch University and Tygerberg Hospital, Cape Town, South Africa.
Sheila F LumleyNuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, UK; Department of Infectious Diseases and Microbiology, Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Oxford, UK.
Elizabeth WaddiloveThe Francis Crick Institute, 1 Midland Road, London, UK.
Tingyan WangNuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, UK.
Jacqueline MartinDepartment of Hepatology, Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Oxford, UK.
Catherine de LaraNuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, UK.
Arran BabbsNuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, UK.
Monique I AnderssonDepartment of Infectious Diseases and Microbiology, Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Oxford, UK; Radcliffe Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK.
Richard H GlashoffDivision of Medical Microbiology & Immunology, Stellenbosch University and National Health Laboratory Service Tygerberg Business Unit, Cape Town, South Africa.
M Azim AnsariNuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, UK.
Kosh AgarwalInstitute of Liver Studies, King's College Hospital, London, UK.
Geoffrey DusheikoInstitute of Liver Studies, King's College Hospital, London, UK.
Jantjie TaljaardDivision of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, Stellenbosch University and Tygerberg Hospital, Cape Town, South Africa.
Wolfgang PreiserDivision of Medical Virology, Stellenbosch University and National Health Laboratory Service Tygerberg Business Unit, Cape Town, South Africa.
Eleanor BarnesNuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, UK; Department of Hepatology and Oxford NIHR Biomedical Research Centre, Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Oxford, UK.
Gavin KellyThe Francis Crick Institute, 1 Midland Road, London, UK.
Ivana CareyInstitute of Liver Studies, King's College Hospital, London, UK.
Yusuke ShimakawaInstitut Pasteur, Université Paris Cité, Unité d'Épidémiologie des Maladies Émergentes, Paris, France.
Tongai G MapongaDivision of Medical Virology, Stellenbosch University and National Health Laboratory Service Tygerberg Business Unit, Cape Town, South Africa.
Philippa C MatthewsThe Francis Crick Institute, 1 Midland Road, London, UK; Department of Infectious Diseases, University College London Hospitals, Euston Road, London, UK; Division of Infection and Immunity, University College London, Gower Street, London, UK. Electronic address: Philippa.matthews@crick.ac.uk.

Funding

Wellcome Trust CC2223
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

objectivesWe set out to evaluate Hepatitis B core-related antigen (HBcrAg) as a proxy for hepatitis B (HBV) viral load (VL) and liver disease in two different population settings.

methodsWe undertook a cross-sectional retrospective observational study using samples and data from adults living with chronic HBV infection from the United Kingdom (UK, n=142) and South Africa (SA, n=211). We assessed HBcrAg distribution, relationship with other biomarkers, and risk stratification performance, applying point of care test (POCT) thresholds.

resultsSA and UK cohorts differed by ethnicity, HIV coinfection, HBeAg-positivity and proportion with HBV VL >200,000 IU/ml (all p<0.001). HBcrAg positively correlated with alanine aminotransferase (ALT) (in both settings p<0.01), and fibrosis/cirrhosis by APRI score (p=0.03 in UK, p=0.008 in SA), but not with elastography or FIB-4 scores. HBcrAg ≥4.3 log10U/ml (POCT threshold) was 100% sensitive and 92% specific for predicting VL >200,000 IU/ml in the UK cohort, compared to 94% sensitive and 86% specific in the SA population.

conclusionsHBcrAg correlated with VL, but less so with liver disease. Use of this biomarker needs tailoring for use in diverse populations.

Indexed as

BiomarkersHepatitis B, ChronicHepatitis B Core AntigensAdultCross-Sectional StudiesFemaleHepatitis B virusHIV InfectionsHumansMaleMiddle AgedRetrospective StudiesSensitivity and SpecificitySouth AfricaUnited KingdomViral LoadBiomarkersHepatitis B Core AntigensBiomarkerCore related antigenHBcrAgHBVHepatitis BMonitoring

Identifiers

PMID40845996
PMCPMC7619275

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
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.