DYNAMICS IN QUANTITATIVE HBsAg VALUES DURING THERAPY WITH NUCLEOTIDE/NUCLEOSIDE ANALOGUES (NUCs)

Todovichin Donika^{1, 2}, Petar Trifonov^{1, 2, *}, Deyan Jelev^{1, 2}, Krasimir Antonov^{1, 2}, Rosen Nikolov^{1, 2}

¹Clinic of Gastroenterology, UMHAT St. Ivan Rilski, Sofia, Bulgaria - ²Department of Internal Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Medical University-Sofia

Introduction: Chronic hepatitis B infection remains a global health challenge, with nucleotide/nucleoside analogs (NUCs) as a primary treatment option. 

Materials and methods: A retrospective analysis was conducted on 337 patients treated with NUCs over a 5-year period. Quantitative HBsAg values were determined at baseline and at 3 and 5 years after starting the treatment. Quantitative HBsAg values were determined at the beginning, prior to initiating antiviral therapy, and at 3 and 5 years after starting the treatment. 

Results: The results demonstrated a significant association between quantitative HBsAg values and liver cirrhosis, with higher baseline values observed in patients with cirrhosis. Furthermore, a faster decline in HBsAg titer during treatment was observed in HBeAg-positive patients compared to HBeAg-negative patients. 

Conclusion: Our findings support the use of quantitative HBsAg as an important marker for monitoring liver disease progression and individual risk assessment in chronic hepatitis B patients treated with NUCs. Further research is needed to optimize treatment strategies based on quantitative HBsAg levels and other surrogate markers.