Hepatitis B core-related antigen as a promising serological marker for monitoring hepatitis B virus cure

作者：Yue Qiu, Qiao Tang, Xiaoqing Liu, Yunling Xue, Yi Zeng, Peng Hu · 发表于：World Journal of Hepatology · 年份：2025 · DOI：10.4254/wjh.v17.i1.98658 · 被引用次数：6 · 研究领域：Hepatitis B Virus Studies、Hepatitis C virus research、Hepatitis Viruses Studies and Epidemiology

Hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection is a global health concern. The current sequential endpoints for the treatment of HBV infection include viral suppression, hepatitis B e antigen (HBeAg) seroconversion, functional cure, and covalently closed circular DNA (cccDNA) clearance. Serum hepatitis B core-related antigen (HBcrAg) is an emerging HBV marker comprising three components: HBeAg, hepatitis B core antigen, and p22cr. It responds well to the transcriptional activity of cccDNA in the patient's liver and is a promising alternative marker for serological testing. There is a strong correlation, and a decrease in its level corresponds to sustained viral suppression. In patients with chronic hepatitis B (CHB), serum HBcrAg levels are good predictors of HBeAg seroconversion (both spontaneous and after antiviral therapy), particularly in HBeAg-positive patients. Both low baseline HBcrAg levels and decreasing levels early in antiviral therapy favored HBsAg seroconversion, which may serve as a good surrogate option for treatment endpoints. In this review, we summarize the role of serum HBcrAg in the treatment of CHB. Therefore, long-term continuous monitoring of serum HBcrAg levels contributes to the clinical management of patients with CHB and optimizes the choice of treatment regimen, making it a promising marker for monitoring HBV cure.