{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,5,1]],"date-time":"2026-05-01T11:59:16Z","timestamp":1777636756309,"version":"3.51.4"},"reference-count":43,"publisher":"Frontiers Media SA","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,4,29]],"date-time":"2026-04-29T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1777420800000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":["frontiersin.org"],"crossmark-restriction":true},"short-container-title":["Front. Cell. Infect. Microbiol."],"abstract":"<jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Objective<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>Hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) clearance is a key milestone for functional (clinical) cure of chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection. However, data on the efficacy and safety of pegylated interferon alpha (Peg-IFN\u03b1) for HBsAg clearance in postpartum women with chronic HBV infection remain scarce. This study aimed to prospectively evaluate the efficacy and safety of Peg-IFN\u03b1 in promoting HBsAg clearance in this specific population.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Methods<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>A total of 263 HBV-infected postpartum women with a baseline HBsAg levels \u22643000 IU\/mL were enrolled. Based on patient preference, they were assigned to either the Peg-IFN\u03b1 group (n=62, receiving Peg-IFN\u03b1 monotherapy or combination therapy with nucleos(t)ide analogs [NAs]) or the control group (n=201, receiving NAs or follow-up only). The duration of Peg-IFN\u03b1 treatment was \u226548 weeks. Propensity score matching (PSM) was performed to balance baseline characteristics. The primary endpoints were both HBsAg clearance rate and the magnitude of HBsAg decline.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Results<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>At week 48, the Peg-IFN\u03b1 group had significantly higher HBsAg clearance (29.03% [18\/62]) and seroconversion rates (27.42% [17\/62]) than the control group (both 0%, P &amp;lt; 0.001). Post-PSM, the Peg-IFN\u03b1 group still had a significantly higher HBsAg clearance\/seroconversion rate (30.43% [14\/46]) versus the control group (0%, P &amp;lt; 0.001). Subgroup analysis showed that patients with baseline HBsAg &amp;lt; 1000 IU\/mL had higher clearance rates (pre-PSM: 39.02% [16\/41]; post-PSM: 40.00% [12\/30]). Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis identified a \u2265 99.2% HBsAg reduction from baseline to week 12 as a strong predictor of week 48 HBsAg clearance (AUC \u22650.9; sensitivity =0.818; specificity= 1.000).<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Conclusion<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>Peg-IFN\u03b1 treatment can achieve high rates of HBsAg clearance and seroconversion in postpartum women with chronic HBV infection. The postpartum period represents a unique and favorable immune window for interferon-based intervention, and patients with baseline HBsAg &amp;lt;1000 IU\/mL derive particular benefit from this strategy.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>","DOI":"10.3389\/fcimb.2026.1802657","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2026,4,29]],"date-time":"2026-04-29T05:54:07Z","timestamp":1777442047000},"update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3389\/crossmark-policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":0,"title":["Efficacy of pegylated interferon alpha in treating postpartum women with chronic hepatitis B virus infection: a multicenter prospective study"],"prefix":"10.3389","volume":"16","author":[{"given":"Hongmei","family":"Gong","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Infectious Diseases, The First Affiliated Hospital of Army Medical University","place":["Chongqing, China"]}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Ming","family":"Liu","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Infectious Diseases, The First Affiliated Hospital of Army Medical University","place":["Chongqing, China"]}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Xuqing","family":"Zhang","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Infectious Diseases, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University (Fangda Hospital)","place":["Chongqing, China"]}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Wei","family":"Sun","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Infectious Diseases and Hepatology, People\u2019s Hospital of Banan District","place":["Chongqing, China"]}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Hongli","family":"Deng","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Infectious Diseases, People\u2019s Hospital of Hechuan District","place":["Chongqing, China"]}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Wei","family":"Liu","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Infectious Diseases, Jiangbei Branch of The First Affiliated Hospital of Army Medical University","place":["Chongqing, China"]}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Yi","family":"Wu","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Infectious Diseases, The First Affiliated Hospital of Army Medical University","place":["Chongqing, China"]}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Guohong","family":"Deng","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Infectious Diseases, The First Affiliated Hospital of Army Medical University","place":["Chongqing, China"]}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Jie","family":"Xia","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Infectious Diseases, The First Affiliated Hospital of Army Medical University","place":["Chongqing, China"]}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Qing","family":"Mao","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Infectious Diseases, The First Affiliated Hospital of Army Medical University","place":["Chongqing, China"]}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Li","family":"Jiang","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Infectious Diseases, The First Affiliated Hospital of Army Medical University","place":["Chongqing, China"]}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]}],"member":"1965","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2026,4,29]]},"reference":[{"key":"B1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"977","DOI":"10.3760\/cma.j.cn501113-20250723-00286","article-title":"Chinese expert consensus on clinical practice of chronic hepatitis B functional (clinical) cure","volume":"33","year":"2025","journal-title":"Zhonghua Gan Zang Bing Za Zhi"},{"key":"B2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"1309","DOI":"10.3760\/cma.j.cn501113-20221204-00607","article-title":"Guidelines for the prevention and treatment of chronic hepatitis B (version 2022)","volume":"30","year":"2022","journal-title":"Zhonghua Gan Zang Bing Za Zhi"},{"key":"B3","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"1529","DOI":"10.1093\/ije\/dyy077","article-title":"Considerations of antiviral treatment to interrupt mother-to-child transmission of hepatitis B virus in China","volume":"47","author":"Cui","year":"2018","journal-title":"Int. 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