Jing Wang1, Yiqi Yu1, Guojun Li2, Chuan Shen3, Zhefeng Meng4, Jianming Zheng1, Yanhong Jia3, Shaolong Chen1, Xiao Zhang5, Mengqi Zhu1, Jiangjiang Zheng6, Zhangzhang Song2, Jing Wu1, Lingyun Shao1, Peiyu Qian4, Xiaona Mao7, Xuanyi Wang8, Yuxian Huang1, Caiyan Zhao3, Jiming Zhang1, Chao Qiu9, Wenhong Zhang10. 1. Department of Infectious Diseases, Huashan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China. 2. Department of Hepatology, The Second Hospital of Yinzhou of Ningbo, Ningbo, China. 3. Department of Infectious Diseases, The Third Hospital of Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang, China. 4. Minhang Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China. 5. Continuing Education Office, Healthy School of Huangpu District, Shanghai, China. 6. Department of Pathology, The Second Hospital of Yinzhou of Ningbo, Ningbo, China. 7. Department of Clinical Laboratory, The Second Hospital of Yinzhou of Ningbo, Ningbo, China. 8. Institutes of Biomedical Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai, China; Key Laboratory of Medical Molecular Virology, Fudan University, Shanghai, China. 9. Department of Infectious Diseases, Huashan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China; Minhang Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China; Institutes of Biomedical Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai, China; Key Laboratory of Medical Molecular Virology, Fudan University, Shanghai, China. Electronic address: qiuchao@fudan.edu.cn. 10. Department of Infectious Diseases, Huashan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China. Electronic address: zhangwenhong@fudan.edu.cn.
Abstract
BACKGROUND & AIMS: In diagnostics, serum hepatitis B virus (HBV)-RNA levels are valuable when the HBV-DNA load in circulation is effectively suppressed by nucleos(t)ide analogue (NUC) therapy. This study aimed to determine the intrahepatic viral replication activity reflected in serum HBV-RNA and whether HBV-RNA contributes to liver histological changes in patients treated with NUC. METHODS: A cross-sectional set of serum and liver biopsy samples was obtained from patients treated with entecavir, who had undetectable levels of serum HBV-DNA. The correlations between serum HBV-RNA concentration and levels of peripheral and intrahepatic viral replicative forms, as well as histological scores, were analyzed. Quasispecies of serum HBV-RNA and intrahepatic viral replicative forms were examined by deep sequencing. HBV-RNA-positive hepatocytes were visualized by in situ hybridization. RESULTS: Serum HBV-RNA was detected in 35 of 47 patients (74.47%, 2.33-4.80log10copies/ml). These levels correlated not only with the intrahepatic HBV-RNA level and the ratio of intrahepatic HBV-RNA to covalently closed circular DNA (cccDNA), but also with the histological scores for grading and staging. Regarding quasispecies, serum HBV-RNA was dynamic and more genetically homogenous to simultaneously sampled intrahepatic HBV-RNA than to the cccDNA pool. In situ histology revealed that HBV-RNA-positive hepatocytes were clustered in foci, sporadically distributed across the lobules, and co-localized with hepatitis B surface antigen. CONCLUSION: Serum HBV-RNA levels reflect intrahepatic viral transcriptional activity and are associated with liver histopathology in patients receiving NUC therapy. Our study sheds light on the nature of HBV-RNA in the pathogenesis of chronic HBV infection and has implications for the management of chronic hepatitis B during NUC therapy. LAY SUMMARY: Serum HBV-RNA levels are indicative of the intrahepatic transcriptional activity of covalently closed circular DNA and are associated with liver histological changes in patients with chronic B hepatitis who are receiving nucleos(t)ide analogue therapy.
BACKGROUND & AIMS: In diagnostics, serum hepatitis B virus (HBV)-RNA levels are valuable when the HBV-DNA load in circulation is effectively suppressed by nucleos(t)ide analogue (NUC) therapy. This study aimed to determine the intrahepatic viral replication activity reflected in serum HBV-RNA and whether HBV-RNA contributes to liver histological changes in patients treated with NUC. METHODS: A cross-sectional set of serum and liver biopsy samples was obtained from patients treated with entecavir, who had undetectable levels of serum HBV-DNA. The correlations between serum HBV-RNA concentration and levels of peripheral and intrahepatic viral replicative forms, as well as histological scores, were analyzed. Quasispecies of serum HBV-RNA and intrahepatic viral replicative forms were examined by deep sequencing. HBV-RNA-positive hepatocytes were visualized by in situ hybridization. RESULTS: Serum HBV-RNA was detected in 35 of 47 patients (74.47%, 2.33-4.80log10copies/ml). These levels correlated not only with the intrahepatic HBV-RNA level and the ratio of intrahepatic HBV-RNA to covalently closed circular DNA (cccDNA), but also with the histological scores for grading and staging. Regarding quasispecies, serum HBV-RNA was dynamic and more genetically homogenous to simultaneously sampled intrahepatic HBV-RNA than to the cccDNA pool. In situ histology revealed that HBV-RNA-positive hepatocytes were clustered in foci, sporadically distributed across the lobules, and co-localized with hepatitis B surface antigen. CONCLUSION: Serum HBV-RNA levels reflect intrahepatic viral transcriptional activity and are associated with liver histopathology in patients receiving NUC therapy. Our study sheds light on the nature of HBV-RNA in the pathogenesis of chronic HBV infection and has implications for the management of chronic hepatitis B during NUC therapy. LAY SUMMARY: Serum HBV-RNA levels are indicative of the intrahepatic transcriptional activity of covalently closed circular DNA and are associated with liver histological changes in patients with chronic B hepatitis who are receiving nucleos(t)ide analogue therapy.
Authors: Anna Kramvis; Kyong-Mi Chang; Maura Dandri; Patrizia Farci; Dieter Glebe; Jianming Hu; Harry L A Janssen; Daryl T Y Lau; Capucine Penicaud; Teresa Pollicino; Barbara Testoni; Florian Van Bömmel; Ourania Andrisani; Maria Beumont-Mauviel; Timothy M Block; Henry L Y Chan; Gavin A Cloherty; William E Delaney; Anna Maria Geretti; Adam Gehring; Kathy Jackson; Oliver Lenz; Mala K Maini; Veronica Miller; Ulrike Protzer; Jenny C Yang; Man-Fung Yuen; Fabien Zoulim; Peter A Revill Journal: Nat Rev Gastroenterol Hepatol Date: 2022-07-20 Impact factor: 73.082