What is qHBsAg and functional cure?
- HBsAg is a viral surface protein produced in vast excess believed to promote immune evasion and facilitate disease chronicity3
- qHBsAg is a marker that can help distinguish between different treatment outcomes4
- Low levels of HBsAg (<100 IU/mL) at baseline are predictive of subsequent HBsAg seroclearance5
- Durable HBsAg seroclearance is a surrogate for immune control over the virus6,7
- qHBsAg may reflect the concentration of cccDNA in the liver, which plays a key role in the HBV life cycle8
Different treatment outcomes for CHB4
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- Partial cure: detectable HBsAg, persistently undetectable HBV DNA in serum after completion of a finite course of treatment
- Functional cure: sustained, undetectable HBsAg and HBV DNA in serum, with or without HBsAg seroconversion durably maintained following completion of a finite course of treatment
- Complete sterilising cure: undetectable HBsAg in serum and eradication of HBV DNA, including intrahepatic cccDNA and integrated HBV DNA
