HBV RNA Test: A New Era in Hepatitis B Management

The Global Hepatitis Report 2024 released by the World Health Organization shows that in 2022, about 1.3 million people worldwide died from viral hepatitis, an increase from 1.1 million in 2019, with 83% caused by hepatitis B.

Chronic infection with the hepatitis B virus (HBV) is difficult to completely eradicate, primarily due to the formation of covalently closed circular DNA (cccDNA) minicircles in the nuclei of liver cells post-infection, which can persist long-term and pose a significant treatment challenge. Currently approved antiviral drugs such as nucleos(t)ide analogs (NAs) and interferon/pegylated interferon (IFN/Peg-IFN) still have difficulty in eliminating cccDNA completely.

Application of HBV RNA

In 1996, German scientists first detected the presence of HBV RNA in the peripheral blood of patients with chronic hepatitis B. In recent years, scholars domestically and abroad have conducted numerous studies on HBV RNA. A team of experts from the School of Basic Medical Sciences at Peking University revealed that serum HBV RNA actually consists of pgRNA that is either incomplete or partially completed in reverse transcription within the nucleocapsid. As a direct downstream transcription product of intrahepatic cccDNA, it can effectively reflect the transcriptional activity of intrahepatic cccDNA.

In September 2017, Professor Zhang Wenhong's team from the Infectious Disease Department of Huashan Hospital affiliated with Fudan University published a study in the Journal of Hepatology, demonstrating that serum HBV RNA levels can reflect the transcriptional activity of intrahepatic cccDNA, and can serve as a non-invasive biomarker for evaluating disease progression in chronic hepatitis B patients. Therefore, the serum HBV RNA test is seen as an ideal surrogate marker for cccDNA.

Clinical Significance of Serum HBV RNA

① Serum HBV RNA can better reflect the transcriptional activity of viral cccDNA

② Assess the risk of relapse after stopping medication

③ Aid in monitoring antiviral efficacy

④ Various predictive values (e.g., HBeAg seroconversion, risk of hepatocellular carcinoma, etc.)

Hotgen's HBV RNA Test

With the continual development of hepatitis B treatment, Hotgen has launched high-precision HBV RNA test products, providing strong support for clinical diagnosis. Hotgen's HBV RNA test, with its sensitivity and high accuracy, aids doctors in real-time monitoring of patients' condition changes and provides scientific evidence for antiviral treatment decisions.

As HBV RNA test technology continues to mature, future hepatitis B treatment will become more precise and personalized, bringing more hope and options for a wide range of patients.