Hepatitis B core-related antigen: A novel and promising surrogate biomarker to guide anti-hepatitis B virus therapy
The current requirement for biomarkers to detect hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection is polarized. One is a fully-automated and highly sensitive measurement system; the other is a simple system for point-of-care testing (POCT) in resource-limited areas. Hepatitis B core-related antigen (HBcrAg) reflec...
| Main Authors: | , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Korean Association for the Study of the Liver
2023-10-01
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| Series: | Clinical and Molecular Hepatology |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://e-cmh.org/upload/pdf/cmh-2022-0434.pdf |
| _version_ | 1797661305073565696 |
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| author | Takako Inoue Takehisa Watanabe Yasuhito Tanaka |
| author_facet | Takako Inoue Takehisa Watanabe Yasuhito Tanaka |
| author_sort | Takako Inoue |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | The current requirement for biomarkers to detect hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection is polarized. One is a fully-automated and highly sensitive measurement system; the other is a simple system for point-of-care testing (POCT) in resource-limited areas. Hepatitis B core-related antigen (HBcrAg) reflects intrahepatic covalently closed circular DNA and serum HBV DNA. Even in patients with undetectable serum HBV DNA or HBsAg loss, HBcrAg may remain detectable. Decreased HBcrAg levels are associated with reduction of the occurrence of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) in chronic hepatitis B. Recently, a fully-automated, novel high-sensitivity HBcrAg assay (iTACT-HBcrAg, cut-off value: 2.1 logIU/mL) has been developed. This attractive assay has been released in Japan very recently. iTACT-HBcrAg can be useful for monitoring HBV reactivation and prediction of HCC occurrence, as an alternative to HBV DNA. Moreover, monitoring HBcrAg may be suitable for determining the therapeutic effectiveness of approved drugs and novel drugs under development. Presently, international guidelines recommend anti-HBV prophylaxis for pregnant women with high viral loads to prevent mother-to-child transmission of HBV. However, >95% of HBV-infected individuals live in countries where HBV DNA quantification is not available. Worldwide elimination of HBV needs the scaling-up of examination and medication services in resource-limited areas. Based on this situation, a rapid and easy HBcrAg assay as a POCT is valuable. This review provides the latest information regarding the clinical use of a new surrogate marker, HBcrAg, in HBV management, based on iTACT-HBcrAg or POCT, and introduces novel agents targeting HBV RNA/protein. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-11T18:43:29Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-3a36fde220dd447b8885c9d466a98452 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2287-2728 2287-285X |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-11T18:43:29Z |
| publishDate | 2023-10-01 |
| publisher | Korean Association for the Study of the Liver |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Clinical and Molecular Hepatology |
| spelling | doaj.art-3a36fde220dd447b8885c9d466a984522023-10-12T07:11:59ZengKorean Association for the Study of the LiverClinical and Molecular Hepatology2287-27282287-285X2023-10-0129485186810.3350/cmh.2022.04341791Hepatitis B core-related antigen: A novel and promising surrogate biomarker to guide anti-hepatitis B virus therapyTakako Inoue0Takehisa Watanabe1Yasuhito Tanaka2 Department of Clinical Laboratory Medicine, Nagoya City University Hospital, Nagoya, Japan Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Faculty of Life Sciences, Kumamoto University, Kumamoto, Japan Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Faculty of Life Sciences, Kumamoto University, Kumamoto, JapanThe current requirement for biomarkers to detect hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection is polarized. One is a fully-automated and highly sensitive measurement system; the other is a simple system for point-of-care testing (POCT) in resource-limited areas. Hepatitis B core-related antigen (HBcrAg) reflects intrahepatic covalently closed circular DNA and serum HBV DNA. Even in patients with undetectable serum HBV DNA or HBsAg loss, HBcrAg may remain detectable. Decreased HBcrAg levels are associated with reduction of the occurrence of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) in chronic hepatitis B. Recently, a fully-automated, novel high-sensitivity HBcrAg assay (iTACT-HBcrAg, cut-off value: 2.1 logIU/mL) has been developed. This attractive assay has been released in Japan very recently. iTACT-HBcrAg can be useful for monitoring HBV reactivation and prediction of HCC occurrence, as an alternative to HBV DNA. Moreover, monitoring HBcrAg may be suitable for determining the therapeutic effectiveness of approved drugs and novel drugs under development. Presently, international guidelines recommend anti-HBV prophylaxis for pregnant women with high viral loads to prevent mother-to-child transmission of HBV. However, >95% of HBV-infected individuals live in countries where HBV DNA quantification is not available. Worldwide elimination of HBV needs the scaling-up of examination and medication services in resource-limited areas. Based on this situation, a rapid and easy HBcrAg assay as a POCT is valuable. This review provides the latest information regarding the clinical use of a new surrogate marker, HBcrAg, in HBV management, based on iTACT-HBcrAg or POCT, and introduces novel agents targeting HBV RNA/protein.http://e-cmh.org/upload/pdf/cmh-2022-0434.pdfhepatitis b core-related antigen (hbcrag)covalently closed circular dna (cccdna)hbv reactivationpoint-of-care testingrna destabilizer |
| spellingShingle | Takako Inoue Takehisa Watanabe Yasuhito Tanaka Hepatitis B core-related antigen: A novel and promising surrogate biomarker to guide anti-hepatitis B virus therapy Clinical and Molecular Hepatology hepatitis b core-related antigen (hbcrag) covalently closed circular dna (cccdna) hbv reactivation point-of-care testing rna destabilizer |
| title | Hepatitis B core-related antigen: A novel and promising surrogate biomarker to guide anti-hepatitis B virus therapy |
| title_full | Hepatitis B core-related antigen: A novel and promising surrogate biomarker to guide anti-hepatitis B virus therapy |
| title_fullStr | Hepatitis B core-related antigen: A novel and promising surrogate biomarker to guide anti-hepatitis B virus therapy |
| title_full_unstemmed | Hepatitis B core-related antigen: A novel and promising surrogate biomarker to guide anti-hepatitis B virus therapy |
| title_short | Hepatitis B core-related antigen: A novel and promising surrogate biomarker to guide anti-hepatitis B virus therapy |
| title_sort | hepatitis b core related antigen a novel and promising surrogate biomarker to guide anti hepatitis b virus therapy |
| topic | hepatitis b core-related antigen (hbcrag) covalently closed circular dna (cccdna) hbv reactivation point-of-care testing rna destabilizer |
| url | http://e-cmh.org/upload/pdf/cmh-2022-0434.pdf |
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