Isolated antibody to hepatitis B core antigen in patients with chronic hepatitis C virus infection

Table 1 Subjects characteristics (n = 169)

Variable	Mean	SD
Age (yr)	44.0	18.0
Sex
Female	57 (33.7%)
Male	112 (66.3%)
INR	1.1	0.26
AST (U/L)	81.1	97.3
ALT (U/L)	74.4	88.3
GGT (U/L)	117.8	194.9
Bilirubin (μmol/L)	29.9	53.1
ALP (U/L)	149.9	111.3
Albumin (g/L)	35.7	6.2
Urea (mmol/L))	6.9	6.4
Creatinine (μmol/L)	144.5	196.6
Liver histopathology
Cirrhosis	59 (34.9%)
CAH	110 (65.1%)
Anti-HBc
+ve	85 (50.3%)
- ve	84 (49.7%)

Data are expressed as mean ± SD or number (%). NS = not significant. ALP; alkaline phosphatase. ALT; alanine aminotransferase. AST; aspartate aminotransferase. CAH; chronic active hepatitis. GGT; Gamma-glutamyl transferase. HBcAb; hepatitis B core antibody. INR; international normalization ratio.

Table 2 Comparison between patients with positive anti-HBc and those with negative anti-HBc

Variable	Patients with HCV & positive anti-HBc (n = 85)	Patients with HCV & negative anti-HBc (n = 84)	P value
Age (yr)	39.1 ± 18.3	48.9 ± 16.3	< 0.001
Sex Female Male	33 (38.8) 52 (61.2)	24 (28.6) 60 (71.4)	NS
INR	1.1 ± 0.3	1.1 ± 0.2	NS
AST (U/L)	68.1 ± 44.5	94.4 ± 130.1	NS
ALT (U/L)	61.0 ± 39.9	88.8 ± 119.0	< 0.05
GGT (U/L)	100.2 ± 134.0	137.2 ± 245.8	NS
Bilirubin (μmol/L)	30.0 ± 50.1	29.7 ± 56.6	NS
ALP (U/L)	133.2 ± 89.5	168.0 ± 129.1	NS
Albumin (g/L)	35.9 ± 6.1	35.4 ± 6.3	NS
Urea (mmol/L)	6.2 ± 4.3	7.8 ± 8.0	NS
Creatinine (μmol/L)	117.5 ± 138.9	1792.9 ± 240.6	NS
Liver pathology Cirrhosis	14 (16.5)	45 (83.5)	< 0.001
CAH	71 (53.6)	39 (46.4)

Data are expressed as mean ± SD or number (%). NS = not significant; ALP: alkaline phosphatase; ALT: alanine aminotransferase; AST: aspartate aminotransferase; CAH: chronic active hepatitis; GGT: Gamma-glutamyl transferase; HBcAb: hepatitis B core antibody; INR: international normalization ratio.

Table 3 Multivariate regression analysis for the predictors of liver cirrhosis

Variable	B	P value	Exp (B)	95% CI for Exp (B)
				Lower	Upper
Age	-0.01	NS	1.0	0.95	1.02
Sex	0.64	NS	1.9	0.55	6.45
INR	7.69	0.002	2182	18.01	264549
AST	-0.01	NS	1.00	0.99	1.00
Bilirubin	0.00	NS	1.00	0.98	1.01
ALP	-0.01	0.006	1.00	0.99	1.00
Albumin	-0.02	NS	0.98	0.98	1.11
Urea	0.05	NS	1.10	0.87	1.27
Creatinine	0.00	NS	1.00	1.00	1.00
+anti-HBc	-2.63	0.0001	0.07	0.02	0.28
Constant	-3.36	NS

NS: not significant; CI: confidence interval; PCR: polymerase chain reaction; INR: international normalization ratio; ALP: alkaline phosphatase.