Natural History and Prognosis of Chronic Hepatitis B Patients in the Indeterminate Phase

• Published in: Journal of gastroenterology and hepatology 2024-12
• Main Authors: Jiang, Hao, Yu, Hongsheng, Huang, Yinan, Li, Mingkai, Yang, Bilan, Xi, Xiaoli, Lei, Yiming, Wu, Bin, Yang, Yidong
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• ISSN: 1440-1746; 1440-1746
• DOI: 10.1111/jgh.16849

In chronic hepatitis B (CHB), an indeterminate phase exists outside the typical predefined phases. Our study investigates this indeterminate phase's natural history and prognosis, focusing on antiviral treatment outcomes. We conducted a retrospective cohort study to compare the risk of transitioning to immune active phase between inactive and indeterminate CHB and the incidence of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and cirrhosis between untreated patients with indeterminate CHB (at baseline and throughout follow-up) and those who received treatment, following standard AASLD 2018 guidance. The risk of transitioning to the immune active phase over 3, 5, and 10 years was 6.3%, 8.9%, and 14.2%, respectively, for inactive phase patients (n = 104). For HBeAg-negative indeterminate phase patients (n = 194), the risk was significantly higher at 23.0%, 31.9%, and 38.2%, and for HBeAg-positive indeterminate phase patients (n = 140), it was 40.4%, 52.0%, and 55.0% (p