Chronic hepatitis b which converting to HBS antigen negativity and HBS antibody positivity during PEG-IFNα-2a treatment after surgery for hepatocellular carcinoma: A case report

Abstract

A 51-year-old woman with chronic hepatitis B monitored in our department since 2001 was found in 2010 to have an HBV DNA level was 4 log copies/ml and an ALT 31 U/L. She was diagnosed with non-active hepatitis B and followed up without antivirus therapy. Contrast-enhanced CT in 2013 showed a hepatocellular carcinoma, for which she underwent laparoscopic resection of the S8 subregion of the liver. Pathologic examination showed a scirrhous type hepatocellular carcinoma, with the non-cancerous region in an F1 state of fibrosis. One month later, she was started on Peg-IFN α-2a to induce hepatitis B surface antigen negativity and prevent tumor recurrence. HBV DNA and HBs antigen became undetectable after 24 weeks, respectively, whereas HBs antibody became positive at 48 weeks. These findings suggest that patients with low HBs antigen concentration (100 IU/ml) and low, HBV DNA may convert to HBs antigen negativity following Peg-IFN treatment.