Comparative study on the clinical characteristics of HBV/HCV co-infection patients with different HCV contaminnation mode / 中华实验和临床病毒学杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>The purpose of this study was to compare the epidemiological, biochemical and virological characteristics among patients co-infected with hepatitis B virus (HBV) and hepatitis C virus (HCV) according to the mode of HCV contamination.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>The study included 133 patients with chronic HBV/HCV co-infection. They were studied and subdivided into two groups (drug addicts group and Blood transfusion group) according to the mode of HCV contaminnation. The epidemiological, biochemical and virological characteristics were collected. Univariate analysis was performed with the SPSS 16.0.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>78 patients were infected by the mode of drug addicts (IDU), whereas 55 were infected by the mode of blood transfusion( PTCH). Patients in drug addicts group had yonger age, shorter HBV and HCV infection history, and lower cirrhosis percentage than those of patients in PTCH group (P <0.05). However,serum levels of ALT (t =4.760, P =0.000), AST (t = 3.798, P = 0.000), TBil (t = 4.274, P = 0.000) of IDU patients were higher than those of PTCH patients. There was difference of sex composition between two groups (chi2 = 18.706, P = 0.000).</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>The clinical characteristics of patients with HBV/HCV coinfection were significantly different among different HCV contamination mode. PTCH patients have the characteristics of older age, more cirrhosis and mild degree of liver injury; IDU patients have the characteristics of yonger age,fewer cirrhosis and severe liver injury.</p>

A clinical study on the efficacy of HBeAg-positive chronic hepatitis B patients treated with adefovir dipivoxil for 4 years / 中华实验和临床病毒学杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To observe the efficacy and safety on the efficacy of HBeAg-positive chronic Hepatitis B patients treated with adefovir dipivoxil for 4 years.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Ninety-five patients with HBeAg-positive chronic hepatitis B were treated with adefovir dipivoxil 10 mg per day orally. The patients were observed before and after treatment for their serum levels of ALT and HBV DNA, the new increasing rates of serum ALT normalization, HBV DNA clearances, HBeAg loss, HBeAg seroconversion and adverse drug events.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>At 4 years on study, the rates of ALT normalization, HBV DNA clearances, HBeAg loss, HBeAg seroconversion and HBV DNA rebound were 89.5%, 63.2%, 47.4%, 41.1% and 8.0%, respectively. No drug related to renal function impairment was found during the treatment, eight patients had adverse drug events but all were mild.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>Adefovir dipivoxil could effectively inhibit HBV replication, normalize ALT and enhance transformation from HBeAg to HBeAb for cases with naive and treated-first patients. The efficacy were increased with prolongation of the treatment period. It is safe and has a good tolerance.</p>

Short-term efficacy of adefovir dipivoxil as an add-on therapy in the pegylated IFNalpha-2a treatment for HBeAg positive chronic hepatitis B patients / 中华实验和临床病毒学杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To investigate whether the combination therapy of pegylated IFNalpha-2a plus adefovir dipivoxil (ADV) improve the efficacy of the treatment in CHB patients with HBeAg positive or not.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>57 CHB patients with HBeAg positive received 48-week pegylated IFNalpha-2a therapy were enrolled into this study. If serum HBV DNA levels exceeded 1000 copies/ml at week 24, the patients were assigned to group A (pegylated IFN-alpha2a plus ADV, 21 cases) or group B (pegylated IFNalpha-2a only, 14 cases); otherwise, they received the unceasing monotherapy of pegylated IFNalpha-2a (group C, 22 cases).</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>At week 48, HBeAg seroconversion rates were 23.8%, 28.6% and 63.6% (A vs C,P = 0.014), but rates of aminotransferases normalization and HBV DNA suppression (< 1000 copies/ml) were not statistically significant among three groups. But during week 24 to week 48, rates of HBeAg seroconversion, aminotransferases normalization and HBV DNA suppression were also not statistically significant between group A and B. But amplitude of DNA drop in group A was much more than that in group B (2.60 +/- 1.37 vs 0.86 +/- 2.09, P = 0.005).</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>An ADV add-on therapy in pegylated IFNalpha-2a treatment seems able to improve the inhibition of HBV DNA in chronic hepatitis B patients with HBeAg positive. It requires a large, double-blind, randomized clinical trial to further provent.</p>

The effect of antiviral therapy for patients with HBeAg-negative cirrhosis / 中华实验和临床病毒学杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To investigate the efficacy of nucleot(s)ide analogues therapy in patients with HBeAg-negative cirrhosis in China.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>111 patiens with HBeAg-negative cirrhosis were divided into antiviral group (58 cases, 25 entecavir, 19 adefovir dipivoxil, 13 lamivudine, 1 telbivudine) and control group (53 cases, supportive and symptomatic treatment). These two groups were matched for demography, liver function and Child-Pugh score.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>At the 96th week, the rate of ALT normalization and HBV DNA drop (1g copies/ml) in antiviral group were higher than those in control group (P < 0.05). The rates of HBV DNA negative (< 500 copies/ml) were 88.7% (47/53) and 32. 5% (13/40), respectively (P < 0.05 ). There were no differences in the rates of developing HCC and undergoing variceal bleeding between antiviral group and control group (P > 0.5). 15.4% patients with lamivudine treatment emerged YMDD mutations. 10.5% patients with adefovir dipivoxil treatment emerged virologic breakthrough and hepatitis flare during the second year. 2 patients (3.5%) in treatment group and 6 patients (11.5%) in control group died of liver failure or variceal bleeding or HCC ( P > 0.05 ).</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>Neucleot(s)ide analogues are effective in suppressing HBV replication in patients with HBeAg-negative cirrhosis, but the impact of which on the mortality and complications of cirrhosis should be prolongly observed. For continuing treatment, the neucleot(s)ide analogues with strong effective and low resistance are the first choices to prevent viral mutation and drug resistance.</p>

The relationship of expression of BMP-7 in the liver and hepatic inflammation and fibrosis in patients with chronic HBV infection / 中华实验和临床病毒学杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To evaluate the relationship of the expression of bone morphogenefic protein-7 (BMP-7) in the liver and the liver fibrosis and inflammation in patients with chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection, to explore the role of BMP-7 in the fibrogenesis of chronic hepatitis B.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>81 patients chronically infected with HBV were enrolled. Liver biopsy were performed in all these patients. The hematoxylin staining and reticular fiber staining were performed for the grading of inflammation and staging of fibrosis, respectively. The patients were divided into different groups by the inflammatory grade or fibrosis stage (8, 14, 19, 22, 18 patients with inflammatory grade of G0, G1, G2, G3, G4, respectively; 8, 16, 21, 24, 12 patients with fibrosis stage of S0, S1, S2, S3, S4, respectively ). Then the immunohistochemical staining by BMP-7 were performed. The expression of BMP-7 in the liver was evaluated by digital image quantitative analysis system. We compared the expression of BMP-7 in the liver with different inflammatory grade and fibrosis stage.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The expression of BMP-7 in the liver tissue increased with the increase of hepatic inflammatory grade and fibrosis. When liver biopsy showed a severe intrahepatic inflammation, the expression of BMP-7 significantly increased, regardless the intrahepatic fibrosis stage. Similarly, when liver biopsy showed a severe intrahepatic fibrosis, the expression of BMP-7 also significantly increased, regardless the intrahepatic inflammatory grade.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>BMP-7 may play an important role as anti-inflammatory and anti-fibrogenic effect in the fibrogenesis of chronic hepatitis B.</p>

Key points of nursing HbeAg negative cirrhotic patients with nucleot (s) ide analogues antiviral therapy / 中华实验和临床病毒学杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To explore the key points of nursing HBeAg negative cirrhotic patients with nucleot(s) ide analogues antiviral therapy.</p><p><b>METHOD</b>Patients enrolled into this study were divided into antiviral group (58 cases) and control group (53 cases). Patients from control group only received the supportive and symptomatic treatment and those from antiviral group received the additional nucleot (s) ide analogues treatment. All patients were observed during hospitalization and were followed up in clinic. Finally, we would make a nursing assessment.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>All patients finished the 96-week treatment and follow-up, except 6 patients died. Alanine transferase normalization rate and HBV DNA decline were more remarkable in antiviral group than that in control group. HBV DNA negative( <500 copies/ml) after 96-week treatment were 88.7% in antiviral group and 32. 5% in control group respectively(Chi(2) = 31.427, P = 0.001).</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>Nucleot(s) ide analogues are significantly effective to inhibit HBV DNA replication in HBeAg negative cirrhotic patients and improve liver function. The key points of nursing these patients including appropriate patients' educating, benign nurse-patient relationship building, medical compliance emphasizing, and attentive complication observing and dealing.</p>

Value of FIB-4 for the diagnosis of liver fibrosis in chronic hepatitis B / 中华实验和临床病毒学杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To assess the diagnostic value of FIB-4 in chronic hepatitis B (CHB) by comparing their results with histological features.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>212 chronic hepatitis B patients underwent liver biopsy with a blood sample taken simultaneously. The serum level of ALT, AST, PLT were tested. These results together with age of the patients were put into the formula and final results of FIB-4 were computed. Three different endpoints were studied according to liver fibrosis stage, namely significant fibrosis (S2 to s4), extensive fibrosis (S3 to S4) and cirrhosis (S4). With liver biopsy as the gold standard, ROC curves were delineated for different endpoints. The area under the ROC curves reflected its diagnostic values.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The distribution of their fibrosis stage was as follows, S0:3 (1.4%); S1:49 (23.1%); S2:66 (31.1%); S3:50 (23.6%); S4:44 (20.8%). That means 160 patients (75.5%) had significant fibrosis (S2 to S4), 94 (44.3%) had extensive fibrosis (S3 to S4) and 44 (20.8%) had cirrhosis (S4). The AUCs of FIB-4 for significant fibrosis, extensive fibrosis and cirrhosis were 0.733 (95% CI: 0.660-0.806, P < 0.01), 0.746 (95% CI: 0.679-0.813, P < 0.01), 0.756 (95% CI: 0.687-0.825, P < 0.01) respectively.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>The FIB-4 index is a simple, accurate and inexpensive methed to assess liver fibrosis in chronic hepatitis and may reduce the need for liver biopsy.</p>

Efficacy of the 96-week adefovir dipivoxil therapy in patients with chronic hepatitis B / 中华实验和临床病毒学杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To investigate the efficacy of the 96-week antiviral therapy with adefovir dipivoxil in patients with chronic hepatitis B.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>80 patients with chronic hepatitis B received the antiviral therapy of adefovir dipivoxil (ADV, 10 mg/d). At the 12th week, 19 cases without early viral response (EVR, HBV DNA drop < 2 log10copies/ml) switched to the therapy of other nucleoside analogues. Aminotransferase (ALT) normalization, HBV DNA negative, HBeAg loss and HBeAg seroconvertion were accessed at the 96th week.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>At week 96, ALT normalization and HBV DNA negative in 61 patients with ADV therapy were 85.25% (52/61) and 95.08% (58/61); and HBeAg loss and HBeAg seroconvertion were 52.52% (17/33) and 42.42% (14/33) respectively. While for the other 19 patients switching to other nucleoside analogues, ALT normalization and HBV DNA negative came to 57.89% (11/19) and 68.42% (13/19). Both HBeAg loss and HBeAg seroconvertion were 58.33% (7/12).</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>Long term ADV antiviral therapy is effective to inhibit HBV DNA replications and benefits patients with chronic hepatits B. Switching to another nucleoside analogue is an optimal alternative if there is no EVR at week 12 in ADV therapy.</p>

Efficacy of antiviral treatment on patients with acute-on-chronic hepatitis B liver failure with low viral load / 中华实验和临床病毒学杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To investigate the efficacy of antiviral treatment on patients with acute-on-chronic hepatitis B liver failure with low viral load.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>352 patients with acute-on-chronic hepatitis B liver failure including 175 cases of low HBV viral load and 177 cases of high HBV viral load were enrolled into this study. The patients were divided into the antiviral group which received antiviral therapy (Lamivudine, Entecavir or Telbivudine) plus routine supportive therapy and the control group which received supportive therapy only. The clinical features and the 24-week short-term efficacy of antiviral therapy were assessed.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>At week 24,total survival rate in antiviral group was higher than that in control group (P = 0.010). The survival rate of patients with low viral load in the antiviral group was higher than that in the control group (P = 0.001). But there was no significant difference between the antiviral group and the control group with high viral load (P = 0.856). But in the antiviral group, there was no significant difference in survival rate between the patients with high HBV viral load and those with low viral load (P = 0.755).</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>Antiviral therapy can significantly improve survival rate of patients of acute-on-chronic hepatitis B liver failure with low viral load. Liver failure;</p>

Relationship between SNP rs10774671 on OAS-1 gene and spontaneous HBeAg seroconversion in chronic HBV infection / 中华实验和临床病毒学杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To investigate the relationship between the SNP rs10774671 on OAS-1 gene and spontaneous HBeAg seroconversion in chronic HBV infection.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Blood samples were collected from 58 HBeAg positive, 68 anti-HBe positive patients with chronic HBV infection, and 72 normal control cases without HBV infection. Chromosomal DNA was extracted and OAS-1 gene was amplified. SNP genotyping was performed with the competitively differentiated polymerase chain reaction and enzyme immunoassay.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>In HBeAg positive group, frequencies of genotype GG plus GA and allele G were 31.0% and 16.4%. They were 48.5% and 29.4% in anti-HBe positive group, and 50.0% and 28.4% in normal control group respectively. Differences between HBeAg positive group and anti-HBe positive group or normal control group were statistically significant. But they weren't between anti-HBe positive group and normal control group.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>Allele G on SNP rs10774671 of OAS-1 gene maybe benefits patients with chronic HBV infection to achieve spontaneous HBeAg seroconversion. Genotyping on this SNP may be predicting valuable for interferon therapy for chronic HBV infection.</p>

Pathological study of liver biopsy from 156 patients clinically diagnosed with mild chronic hepatitis B based on current guideline / 中华实验和临床病毒学杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To study the pathological features of liver tissues from patients clinically diagnosed with mild chronic hepatitis B based on current guideline and emphasize the important significance of liver puncture and biopsy for these patients.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Totally 156 patients clinically diagnosed with mild chronic hepatitis B based on current guideline received liver puncture under the real-time Doppler ultrasonographic guiding. Pathological diagnosis was made after microscopic examinations of the liver tissue specimens stained with hematoxylin-eosin (HE) and reticular fiber staining. The differences between clinical and pathological diagnosis for these patients were analyzed.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Finally, 105 (67.3%) patients were pathologically diagnosed with mild chronic hepatitis B; 28 (18.0%), 3 (1.9%) and 20 (12.8%) patients were pathologically diagnosed as moderate, severe chronic hepatitis B and cirrhosis, respectively. Forty-eight (30.8%) and 39 (25.0%) patients of non-mild chronic hepatitis B were found to have G3-4 inflammation and S3-4 fibrosis, respectively. Differences in serum alanine aminotransferase, aspartate aminotransferase, total bilirubin or albumin between mild and non-mild chronic hepatitis B based on pathological diagnosis were not statistically significant (t-test, P > 0.05).</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>Accurate pathological diagnosis is helpful to guiding an antiviral therapy.</p>

Relationship of fatty liver with HBV infection, hyperlipidemia and abnormal alanine aminotransferase / 中华实验和临床病毒学杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To investigate the prevalence of fatty liver in Guangzhou and its relation to hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection, hyperlipidemia and abnormal alanine aminotransferase (ALT).</p><p><b>METHODS</b>A retrospective analysis was made on clinical data of 4365 participants who received health check-up in our hospital.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The prevalence of fatty liver was 18.2%, 19.2% in males and 17.1% in females, respectively. There was no significant difference between males and females (P = 0.07). Among 793 subjects with fatty liver, 440 were males and 353 were females. The prevalence of fatty liver was 16.7% in HBV infection group and 18.3% in the group without HBV infection, no significant difference was seen between these two groups (P = 0.45). The prevalence of fatty liver was 42.1% in hyperlipidemia group, and 11.6% in the group with normal serum triglyceride (TG) and total cholesterol (TC), respectively, there was a significant difference between these two groups (P < 0.05). The abnormal ALT was seen in 32.5% of the fattty liver group, which was significantly higher than that (8.6%) in the group without fatty liver (P < 0.05).</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>The prevalence of fatty liver was not significantly different between males and females in Guangzhou. Fatty liver was not related with HBV infection but closely related with age and hyperlipidemia. Fatty liver was a common cause of abnormal ALT.</p>

Correlation of serum chemokine RANTES level with serum biochemical indices, HBeAg and HBV DNA load in patients with chronic hepatitis B / 中华实验和临床病毒学杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To investigate the level of the serum chemokine RANTES and its correlation with serum biochemical indices of liver function test, HBeAg and HBV DNA load in patients with chronic hepatitis B.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>144 patients with chronic hepatitis B (observed group) and 18 normal cases (control group) were enrolled in this study. The serum level of chemokine RANTES was detected with an ABC-ELISA assay. Statistical analysis was performed on the software of SPSS13.0.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The serum chemokine RANTES level in the observed group (3930.12 ng/ml 2856.96) ng/ml was significantly higher than that in the control group (329.46 ng/ml +/- 152.23) ng/ml. The results from the observed group indicated the positive correlation of serum RANTES level with indices of liver function test, including ALT (r = 0.197, P = 0.018), AST(r = 0.239, P = 0.004) and TBil (r = 0.316, P = 0.001), but did not with PTA (r = - 0.078, P = 0.357). Neither difference of serum chemokine RANTES level between HBeAg-positive group and HBeAg-negative group nor that between high HBV DNA load group (> or = 10(5) copies/ml) and low HBV DNA load group (< 10(5) copies/ml) were statistically significant (P = 0.407 and 0.185, respectively).</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>Serum chemokine RANTES level in patients with chronic hepatitis B elevates significantly and is not affected by HBeAg or HBV DNA load. Its positive correlation with indices of liver function test indicates that RANTES might play an important role in the pathogenesis of chronic hepatitis B.</p>

Comparison of clinical features from patients with chronic hepatitis B between HBeAg negative and positive / 中华实验和临床病毒学杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To analyze different clinical features from patients with chronic hepatitis B between HBeAg negative and positive.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>354 patients with chronic hepatitis B (124 cases with HBeAg positive and 230 cases with HBeAg negative) were enrolled into this retrospective investigation. Comparisons were conducted according to their demographic, liver biochemical, virological characters and clinical diagnosis types.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>(1) patients with chronic hepatitis B in HBeAg negative group have older age; moderate and severe chronic hepatitis occupied a lower proportion (P = 0.007 and 0.014). But fulminant hepatitis had a higher proportion (P = 0.008). (2) ALT, ALB, PTA and HBV DNA load of HBeAg negative group were lower than that of HBeAg positive group, but TBil in HBeAg negative group was higher; AST had no statistical significance between two groups. (3) In high HBV DNA load group ( > 10(5) copies/ml), HBeAg negative group had a lower proportion than HBeAg positive group (37.4% vs 55.6%, P = 0.001).</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>HBeAg-negative patients compared with HBeAg-positive patients had older age, lower serum HBV DNA level and other characteristics; HBeAg-negative patients maybe had serious disease.</p>

The short-term efficacy of antiviral treatment in patients with acute-on-chronic hepatitis B liver failure / 中华实验和临床病毒学杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To investigate the short-term efficacy of antiviral therapy in acute-on-chronic liver failure associated with hepatitis B.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>A total of 348 patients with acute-on-chronic liver failure associated with hepatitis B, of which 173 cases of low viral load (HBV DNA <105 copies/ml) and 175 cases of high viral load (HBV DNA > or =105 copies/ml), were divided into two groups. One was treated with antiviral therapy (LAM or ETV or Ltd) and routine supportive therapy, and the other received supportive therapy only. The clinical features, survival rate and the short-term efficacy of antiviral therapy were compared between the two.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>It was indicated in Cox regression analysis of multiple factors that antiviral therapy is the favorable factor of affecting prognosis. The survival rate of the group receiving antiviral therapy was higer than that of the one in control group in a 24-week observation. In patients with 4 weeks treatment there were statistical significant differences (P < or = 0.05) in both the level of TBil in serum and the decreasing amplitude of HBV DNA between the two groups. Also after 24-week therapy the survival rates of the patients with both low and high viral load was higer in the group with antiviral therapy,and that made statistically significant (P < or = 0.05).</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>Antiviral therapy can improve the survival rate of the acute-on-chronic liver failure associated with hepatitis B. And it is also needed in patients with low viral load.</p>

Relationships between liver function test, serum HBeAg or HBV DNA level and liver pathological changes in patients with chronic hepatitis B / 中华实验和临床病毒学杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between liver function test, serum HBeAg, HBV DNA level and liver pathological changes in patients with chronic hepatitis B.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>233 patients with chronic hepatitis B accept liver puncture biopsy, liver function test, HBeAg detection and HBV DNA fluorescent quantitation PCR detection. Comparisons of liver function test, HBeAg and HBV DNA level were conducted among different liver pathological changes including inflammation grading and fibrosis staging.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>In different inflammation grading groups, ALT was highest in group G3 and lowest in group G(0-1)(P = 0.016); TBil was highest in group G4 and lowest in group G(0-1) (P = 0.000); HBV DNA level was highest in group G4 and lowest in group G(0-1), but not statistically significant among groups (P = 0.463). In different fibrosis staging groups, ALT was highest in group S3 and lowest in group S(0-1), but not statistically significant among groups (P = 0.562); TBil was highest in group S4 and lowest in group S2 (P = 0.039); HBV DNA level was highest in group S3 and lowest in group S(0-1), but not statistically significant among groups (P = 0.395). In HBeAg positive group,the proportion of G(3-4) in inflammation grading or S(3-4) in fibrosis staging was lower than that in HBeAg negative group (46% vs. 52%, P = 0.438; 38% vs. 53%, P = 0.025; respectively).</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>HBV DNA level can not indicate the severity of liver inflammation or fibrosis in chronic HBV infection. Patients with HBeAg negative often are complicated with more severity of liver fibrosis. In routine liver function test, TBil level correlates with liver inflammation grading or fibrosis staging; ALT level also correlates with liver inflammation grading but not with fibrosis staging.</p>

The measurement and significance of serum chemokine RANTES in patients with chronic hepatitis B / 中华实验和临床病毒学杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To investigate the relationship of the serum chemokine RANTES level in patients with chronic hepatitis B among different clinical severity and to explore its possible reasons.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>144 patients with chronic hepatitis B were divided into mild-moderate (46), serious (51) or severe group (47) according to the different clinical severity and 18 normal cases were taken as normal control. The serum level of chemokine RANTES was detected with an ABC-ELISA assay. Statistical analysis was performed on the software of SPSS 13.0.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The serum chemokine RANTES levels in patients with chronic hepatitis B (2227.06 +/- 790.80, 5878.49 +/- 3334.58, 3482.77 +/- 2315.62 ng/L in mild-moderate, serious and severe group respectively) were significantly higher than that in the normal control (329.46 +/- 152.00 ng/L). The differences between each two hepatitis groups were also statistically significant (P < 0.05) and serum chemokine RANTES level in serious group was highest among them.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>Serum chemokine RANTES level in patients with chronic hepatitis B elevates significantly and it might play an important role in the pathogenesis of chronic hepatitis B.</p>