Evidence map›Paper›PMID 42063539›Full record

ArticleiScience2026

HBV biomarkers outperform host genetic variants in distinguishing occult HBV infection from chronic carriers.

Lin Zhou, Ying Yan, Huimin Ji, Huizhen Sun, Zhuoqun Lu, Le Chang, Lunan Wang

Abstract read
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Article in iScience, 2026. 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

7 authors.

Lin ZhouNational Center for Clinical Laboratories, Beijing Hospital, National Center for Gerontology, National Clinical Research Center for Gerontology, The Key Laboratory of Geriatrics of NHC, Institute of Geriatric Medicine, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Beijing, P.R. China.
Ying YanNational Center for Clinical Laboratories, Beijing Hospital, National Center for Gerontology, National Clinical Research Center for Gerontology, The Key Laboratory of Geriatrics of NHC, Institute of Geriatric Medicine, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Beijing, P.R. China.
Huimin JiNational Center for Clinical Laboratories, Beijing Hospital, National Center for Gerontology, National Clinical Research Center for Gerontology, The Key Laboratory of Geriatrics of NHC, Institute of Geriatric Medicine, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Beijing, P.R. China.
Huizhen SunNational Center for Clinical Laboratories, Beijing Hospital, National Center for Gerontology, National Clinical Research Center for Gerontology, The Key Laboratory of Geriatrics of NHC, Institute of Geriatric Medicine, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Beijing, P.R. China.
Zhuoqun LuNational Center for Clinical Laboratories, Beijing Hospital, National Center for Gerontology, National Clinical Research Center for Gerontology, The Key Laboratory of Geriatrics of NHC, Institute of Geriatric Medicine, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Beijing, P.R. China.
Le ChangNational Center for Clinical Laboratories, Beijing Hospital, National Center for Gerontology, National Clinical Research Center for Gerontology, The Key Laboratory of Geriatrics of NHC, Institute of Geriatric Medicine, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Beijing, P.R. China.
Lunan WangNational Center for Clinical Laboratories, Beijing Hospital, National Center for Gerontology, National Clinical Research Center for Gerontology, The Key Laboratory of Geriatrics of NHC, Institute of Geriatric Medicine, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Beijing, P.R. China.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

This study aimed to determine if host genetic variants could improve the differentiation of occult hepatitis B virus infection (OBI) from overt chronic infection in Chinese blood donors, beyond standard biomarkers. Through a multicenter screening of over 1.14 million donations and a two-year follow-up, we established a cohort of 147 confirmed carriers (74 OBI and 73 overt) who underwent whole-exome sequencing. A model based on 5 routinely available biomarkers-older age, higher HBV DNA Ct value (indicating lower viral load), elevated anti-HBs, decreased anti-HBc, and anti-HBe negativity-achieved high accuracy (AUCs: 0.898-0.910). In contrast, while 9 missense variants showed initial associations, none were validated, and their inclusion reduced model generalizability. We conclude that serological and virological biomarkers are highly effective for OBI risk stratification, whereas common host genetic variants offer minimal incremental value, highlighting the practical superiority of biomarker profiling and setting a benchmark for future research.

Indexed as

Health sciences

Identifiers

PMID42063539
PMCPMC13126040

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Registered trials

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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.