Clinical usefulness of serum HBV DNA measurement with a non radioactive chemiluminescence method

Aim, clinical usefulness of a non radioactive HBV DNA measuring method was evaluated. Subjects and methods, the subjects were 8 anti-HBe positive chronic hepatitis B (CH-B) patients and five CH-B patients who were orally administered reverse transcriptase inhibitor (RTI). Serum HBV DNA and DNA-P were serially determined at 1.5–2 month intervals for 1 year in CH-B with anti-HBe positive patients and before, 2, 4, 8, and 12 weeks after RTI administration. Serum HBV DNA was determined by two different non radioactive method (Viraprobe HB Lumi, Quantiplex HBV DNA). Results, the HBV DNA levels measured with two methods were highly correlated (P < 0.0001). Generally, the results for serum HBV DNA and the DNA-P were also correlated (P < 0.01). While, among a total of 51 determinations in CH-B patients with anti-HBe positive, discrepancies between serum HBV DNA and DNA-P from different sensitivities were noted in 15 determinations, and in all cases the pattern was HBV DNA positive and DNA-P negative. From 2 to 12 weeks after RTI administration, the same pattern was observed in three cases. These results were thought to be mainly due to the high sensitivity of HBV DNA measurement. (Conclusion) The non radioactive methods of measuring of HBV DNA are useful for detecting low level HBV replication.