COMPARISON OF ANTI-HBE-POSITIVE AND HBE-ANTIGEN-POSITIVE CHRONIC HEPATITIS-B IN FRANCE

Two groups of patients with HBV DNA-positive chronic active hepatitis B, from 20 French hospitals, separated according to HBe status, were p rospectively subjected to a comparative analysis of various epidemiolo gical, clinical, biochemical, serologic and histologic features. There were 61 patients with anti-HBe and 215 patients with HBeAg. At diagno sis, 25 variables were compared between the two groups. Some of the pa tients were followed up for 1 year. Anti-HBe chronic hepatitis B occur red with a prevalence of 22.1%. In the anti-HBe-chronic hepatitis B gr oup, the patients were older, and more often of Southern European orig in; the source of infection was more frequently unknown, hepatitis B m arkers were more frequently observed within the family, and the estima ted duration of liver disease was longer. Serum HBV DNA levels were lo wer in the anti-HBe-positive group. No difference was observed in ALT levels at diagnosis and during follow up in the patients studied. Cirr hosis was more frequent in the anti-HBe-positive group. There was no d ifference in histological activity score between the two groups. These results suggest that anti-HBe-positive, chronic active hepatitis B is not rare in France, and that the higher occurrence of cirrhosis in th is group may be related to a longer duration of the disease. (C) Journ al of Hepatology.