Hi all, as the title says I’m newly diagnosed (3 weeks) with chronic hep b. I have no idea how or when I caught it. My partner of 11 years has just been tested and has come back completely negative and has had her first of three doses of the vaccine. We have been having unprotected intercourse for a vast majority of that time. I was hoping one of you wonderful people would be able to help me understand what my results mean. I have used the thread to understand the abbreviations and have been glued to my phone trying to google all of my levels and what they mean but if anything its just confused me more. I’m having a tough time thinking about anything apart from this diagnosis and what it means for me going forward. I’ve been referred to the Hepatology department at my Local hospital however I’m not able to get any information from the Doctors until I go (I don’t even have an appointment yet) I’ve attached images of all the results that were raised above normal ranges.
Any help would be greatly appreciated.
Thank you all for your work building this amazing community!
You are welcome I think that you’re in HBeAg -ve chronic hepatitis (phase4) or reactivation phase , according to EASL guidelines due to HBV DNA level >2,000 , elevation of liver enzymes SGOT/SGPT) . Most patients are asymptomatic and may be in phase 3 (inactive carriers) for many years and then turn to phase 4 due to immune escape from mutation at open reading frame of ccc DNA at core or precore region and produce mutant HBeAg which evade immune system leading to increase HBV replication. If possible, fibroscan should be done for assessment of fibrosis staging or use noninvasive biomarkers eg . APRI , FIB4 . You should start treatment with antiviral drugs that have high barrier of resistance (TAF, TDF, Entecavir) after consult with your doctors for long term monitoring and management.
Dear @BarracudaBee,
Welcome to the forum and thanks for your kind words and queries. Sorry about the stressful time you’ve been going through. Indeed your lab results are consistent with a chronic HBV infection.
Under current EASL guidelines, your raised ALTs and moderate levels of HBV DNA would mean you are eligible and might benefit from antiviral treatment. The additional tests you’ll likely get are an ultrasound and fibroscan to determine your liver health (to see if there is damage or not).
Hope this helps,
Thomas
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HI @BarracudaBee,
Welcome to the Community. You will be able to find lots of information and support about your condition here.
I agree you have HBe negative chronic HBV with moderate levels of serum DNA and modest ALT elevation (indicating ongoing but moderate liver damage). This is a very common situation. It is also common not to know where the infection came from as a large fraction of primary HBV infections do not cause noticeable illness.
Treatment will most likely be with either TDF (a form of tenofovir) or Entecavir. These drugs very efficiently stop viral replication and normalize the liver inflammation that is causing the raised ALT levels. They will also reduce but not eliminate the likelihood of transmitting the virus to others, so it is important that your partner complete her/his vaccination series. The drugs are very safe and well tolerated in the vast majority of people. They are typically taken as one pill once per day.
Finally, please do not neglect your mental health. Getting an HBV diagnosis can be quite a shock, and concerns about your long-term health are very normal. The folks here at the Community can be a huge help as you adjust to this new situation. You are not alone.
I wish you the very best,
John.
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