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. 2022 Apr 9;22(1):351.
doi: 10.1186/s12879-022-07326-1.

Impact of HCV viremia on HBV biomarkers in patients coinfected with HBV and HCV

Chih-Wei Tseng  1   2 , Wen-Chun Liu  3   4   5 , Chi-Yi Chen  6 , Ting-Tsung Chang  3   4   5 , Kuo-Chih Tseng  7   8
Affiliations

Impact of HCV viremia on HBV biomarkers in patients coinfected with HBV and HCV

Chih-Wei Tseng et al. BMC Infect Dis. .

Abstract

Backgrounds: Hepatitis B virus (HBV) biomarkers reflect the status of HBV infection; however, their role in patients with chronic hepatitis B and C (HBV/HCV) coinfection remains unknown. This study evaluated the characteristics of HBV biomarkers in patients with chronic HBV/HCV coinfection.

Methods: One hundred untreated HBV/HCV coinfected patients were enrolled. Active viral infection was defined as viral load above 2000 U/L and 15 U/L for HBV and HCV, respectively. Blood samples were analyzed for HBV biomarkers, including hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg), hepatitis B core-related antigen (HBcrAg), HBV DNA, and HBV pregenomic RNA (HBV pgRNA). The impact of HCV viremia was also studied.

Results: A total of 15 patients were HBV-inactive/HCV-inactive, 63 patients were HBV-inactive/HCV-active, 14 patients were HBV-active/HCV-inactive and 8 patients were HBV-active/HCV-active. A total of 71 (71%) patients were active HCV and 22 (22%) were active HBV. HBsAg, HBcrAg, and HBV DNA correlated with each other (P < 0.001). HBV pgRNA displayed no correlations with HBV DNA, HBsAg, or HBcrAg. Patients with HCV viremia had significantly lower HBV DNA, HBsAg, and HBcrAg levels as well as higher HBV pgRNA levels and lower HBV DNA:pgRNA ratio than those without viremia (HBV DNA, P < 0.001; HBsAg, P = 0.015; HBcrAg, P = 0.006; HBV pgRNA, P = 0.073; and HBV DNA:pgRNA ratio, P < 0.001).

Conclusions: In patients coinfected with HBV and HCV, HBsAg, HBcrAg, and HBV DNA significantly correlated with each other. HBV and HCV coinfected patients with HCV viremia have lower HBV DNA, HBsAg, HBcrAg, and HBV DNA:pgRNA ratio as well as higher HBV pgRNA levels.

Keywords: HBV pregenomic RNA; HBV/HCV coinfection; Hepatitis B core-related antigen; Hepatitis B surface antigen.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare that they have no competing interests.

Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
Expression of HBV DNA, HBsAg, HBcrAg, and HBV pgRNA in in patients coinfected with HBV/HCV (n = 100). A HBV DNA was significantly higher in the HBV-active groups (A; BACA vs. BICA, P < 0.001; BACA vs. BICI, P < 0.001; BACI vs. BICA, P < 0.001; and BACI vs. BICI, P < 0.001). B Serum HBsAg in the HBV-active groups was significantly higher than that in the BICA group (B; BACA vs. BICA, P = 0.013; and BACI vs. BICA, P = 0.007). C Serum HBcrAg in the BACI group was higher than that in BICA group (C; P = 0.001). D HBV pgRNA in the BACA group was significantly higher than that in the BICI group (D; P < 0.001). E The HBV DNA:HBV pgRNA ratio was significantly higher in the BACA and BACI groups than in the BICI and BICA groups (E; BACA vs. BICA, P < 0.001; BACA vs. BICI, P = 0.023; BACI vs. BICA, P < 0.001; and BACI vs. BICI, P < 0.001). HBV, hepatitis B virus; HCV, hepatitis C virus; HBsAg, hepatitis B surface antigen; HBcrAg, hepatitis B core-related antigen; pgRNA, pregenomic RNA
Fig. 2
Fig. 2
Linear regression analyses for the correlations between HBV biomarkers in patients coinfected with HBV/HCV. A HBV DNA was significantly correlated with HBsAg (A; R = 0.476, R2 = 0.227, β = 0.463, and P < 0.001). B HBV DNA was significantly correlated with HBcrAg (B; R = 0.474, R2 = 0.225, β = 0.474, and P < 0.001). C HBsAg also showed a positive correlation with HBcrAg (C; R = 0.392, R2 = 0.153, β = 0.392, and P < 0.001). D–F HBV pgRNA had no correlations with HBV DNA, HBsAg, or HBcrAg (D–F; HBV DNA, R = 0.017, R2 = 0.0003, β = − 0.017, and P = 0.864; HBsAg, R = 0.111, R2 = 0.012, β = 0.111, and P = 0.270; and HBcrAg, R = 0.086, R2 = 0.0037, β = − 0.086, and P = 0.395, respectively). HBV, hepatitis B virus; HCV, hepatitis C virus; HBsAg, hepatitis B surface antigen; HBcrAg, hepatitis B core-related antigen; pgRNA, pregenomic RNA
Fig. 3
Fig. 3
HBV biomarker expression levels in chronic HBV/HCV coinfected patients with (n = 71) and without (n = 29) HCV viremia. A–C The HBV DNA, HBsAg and HBcrAg levels of patients with HCV viremia were significantly lower than those of patients without viremia (A–C; HBV DNA, P < 0.001; HBsAg, P = 0.015; and HBcrAg, P = 0.006, respectively). D The HBV pgRNA level of patients with viremia trended higher than that of patients without viremia (D; P = 0.073). E Patients with viremia had a lower HBV DNA:HBV pgRNA ratio (E; P < 0.001). F The amount of HCV RNA had a negative correlation between HCV RNA and HBV DNA/pgRNA ratio (Fig. 2A; R = 0.416, R2 = 0.173, β = – 0.416, and P < 0.001). HBV, hepatitis B virus; HCV, hepatitis C virus; HBsAg, hepatitis B surface antigen; HBcrAg, hepatitis B core-related antigen; pgRNA, pregenomic RNA
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