| Autor: |
Nikolaos D. Karakousis, Lampros Chrysavgis, Alkistis Papatheodoridi, Aigli-Ioanna Legaki, Panagiotis Lembessis, Evangelos Cholongitas, Antonios Chatzigeorgiou, George Papatheodoridis |
| Jazyk: |
angličtina |
| Rok vydání: |
2023 |
| Předmět: |
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| Zdroj: |
Pathogens, Vol 12, Iss 3, p 394 (2023) |
| Druh dokumentu: |
article |
| ISSN: |
2076-0817 |
| DOI: |
10.3390/pathogens12030394 |
| Popis: |
Background: Chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection is a common chronic liver disease that is closely associated with increased morbidity and mortality. Circulating cell-free DNA (cf-DNA) and global DNA methylation, expressed as circulating levels of 5-methyl-2′-deoxycytidine, are increasingly used to monitor chronic inflammatory diseases of several etiologies. This study attempts to investigate the serum levels of circulating cf-DNA and 5-methyl-2′-deoxycytidine in HBeAg-negative patients with chronic infection (carriers) and chronic hepatitis B (CHB), as well as their changes after treatment initiation in CHB. Methods: Serum samples from a total of 61 HBeAg-negative patients (30 carriers and 31 CHB patients) were included in order to quantify the levels of circulating cf-DNA and 5-methyl-2′-deoxycytidine. In addition, serum samples from 17 CHB patients in complete virological and biochemical remission after initiation of treatment with a nucleos(t)ide analogue were included. Results: Circulating cf-DNA concentration was significantly increased after the initiation of treatment (15 vs. 10 ng/mL, p = 0.022). There was a trend in higher mean levels of circulating 5-methyl-2′-deoxycytidine in carriers compared to CHB patients (211.02 vs. 175.66 ng/mL, p = 0.089), as well as a trend in increasing 5-methyl-2′-deoxycytidine levels after treatment initiation in CHB patients compared to pre-treatment levels (215 vs. 173 ng/mL, p = 0.079). Conclusions: Both circulating levels of cf-DNA and 5-methyl-2′-deoxycytidine might be useful biomarkers in order to monitor liver disease activity and response to antiviral treatment in HBeAg-negative chronic HBV patients, but further studies are essential in order to validate these intriguing findings. |
| Databáze: |
Directory of Open Access Journals |
| Externí odkaz: |
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