{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2025,10,11]],"date-time":"2025-10-11T00:57:41Z","timestamp":1760144261182,"version":"build-2065373602"},"reference-count":56,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"4","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2024,4,5]],"date-time":"2024-04-05T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1712275200000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["JPM"],"abstract":"<jats:p>Background and Aims: Chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection is a global public health challenge since more than 250 million individuals are affected worldwide. Since different treatment modalities are available and not all patients are candidates for antiviral treatment, biomarkers that potentially predict the possibility of HBsAg clearance and seroconversion may be useful in clinical practice. Patients and methods: In this retrospective study, we aimed to identify factors positively correlated with HBsAg seroconversion in a large cohort of 371 chronic hepatitis B patients treated at a German tertial center between 2005 and 2020. Results: Seroconversion occurred in 25\/371 (6.7%) and HBsAg loss in 29\/371 patients (7.8%) with chronic HBV infection. Antiviral therapy was associated with a lower chance of seroconversion (seroconversion antiviral therapy 14\/260 (5.4%) vs. therapy-na\u00efve patients 11\/111 (9.9%), p = 0.027). Seroconversion rates were higher in patients with (very) low titers of HBV DNA (best cut-off value 357 IU\/mL) and quantitative HBsAg. The best cut-off value with regard to seroconversion was 357 IU\/mL for HBV DNA (AUC 0.693 (95%-CI 0.063\u20130.422), sensitivity 0.714, specificity 0.729; p &lt; 0.0005) and 33,55 IU\/mL for HBsAg (AUC 0.794 (95%-CI 0.651\u20130.937), sensitivity 0.714, specificity 0.949; p &lt; 0.0005). However, male gender was positively associated with seroconversion (seroconversion: males 7.6% vs. females 2.7%, p = 0.036). Conclusions: Treatment-na\u00efve male chronic HBV patients with low viral load and inflammatory activity have the best chance to achieve seroconversion. In the absence of cirrhosis, antiviral therapy should therefore not be performed in this patient collective.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/jpm14040390","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2024,4,5]],"date-time":"2024-04-05T08:27:52Z","timestamp":1712305672000},"page":"390","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":2,"title":["Factors Positively Correlated with Hepatitis B Surface Antigen Seroconversion in Chronic Hepatitis B"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"14","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-3394-5492","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Matthias","family":"Buechter","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, University Clinic of Essen, University of Duisburg-Essen, 45147 Essen, Germany"},{"name":"Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Elisabeth Hospital, 58638 Iserlohn, Germany"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Arne Maria","family":"G\u00fcnther","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, University Clinic of Essen, University of Duisburg-Essen, 45147 Essen, Germany"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Paul","family":"Manka","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Internal Medicine, University Hospital Knappschaftskrankenhaus, Ruhr-University Bochum, 44801 Bochum, Germany"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-5734-8006","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Guido","family":"Gerken","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, University Clinic of Essen, University of Duisburg-Essen, 45147 Essen, Germany"},{"name":"Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Helios Clinic, 42549 Velbert, Germany"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Alisan","family":"Kahraman","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, University Clinic of Essen, University of Duisburg-Essen, 45147 Essen, Germany"},{"name":"Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Max Grundig Clinic, 77815 B\u00fchl, Germany"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2024,4,5]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"149","DOI":"10.1007\/s00103-021-03478-8","article-title":"Epidemiology of viral hepatitis A to E in Germany","volume":"65","author":"Dudareva","year":"2022","journal-title":"Bundesgesundheitsblatt Gesundheitsforschung Gesundheitsschutz"},{"key":"ref_2","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"5","DOI":"10.1002\/hep.30231","article-title":"Hepatitis B Virus Core Variants, Liver Fibrosis, and Hepatocellular Carcinoma","volume":"69","author":"Ligat","year":"2019","journal-title":"Hepatol. 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