Optimizing off-treatment outcome predictions: The potential of time-varying HBcrAg and the need for more research Ying-Nan Tsai, Jia-Ling Wu, Yao-Chun Hsu Clinical and Molecular Hepatology.2024; 30(2): 276. CrossRef
Tenofovir Disoproxil Fumarate Versus Entecavir: Effects on Lipid Profiles and Cardiovascular Outcomes in People Living With Chronic Hepatitis B Log Young Kim, Jae Young Kim, Jeong‐Ju Yoo, Sang Gyune Kim, Young‐Seok Kim Journal of Medical Virology.2025;[Epub] CrossRef
Safety of tenofovir alafenamide in the context of hyperlipidemia and cardiovascular diseases: a nationwide analysis Jae-Young Kim, Hyuk Kim, Jeong-Ju Yoo, Sang Gyune Kim, Young-Seok Kim Hepatology International.2025; 19(4): 959. CrossRef
Long-Term Safety and Efficacy of Tenofovir Alafenamide in Chronic Hepatitis B: Raising the Need for Studies on Functional Cure—Editorial on “Long-Term Real-World Outcomes of Tenofovir Alafenamide in Chronic Hepatitis B” Soon Kyu Lee The Korean Journal of Gastroenterology.2025; 85(3): 245. CrossRef
Risk of dyslipidaemia in people living with HIV who are taking tenofovir alafenamide: a systematic review and meta‐analysis Jeong‐Ju Yoo, Eun Ae Jung, Sang Gyune Kim, Young Seok Kim, Min Jae Kim Journal of the International AIDS Society.2024;[Epub] CrossRef
Tenofovir Alafenamide for Multiple Drug-Resistant Chronic Hepatitis B: A 3-Year Clinical Trial Jonggi Choi, Young-Suk Lim, Ji-Hoon Kim, Kwan Soo Byun, Byung Chul Yoo Clinical Gastroenterology and Hepatology.2023; 21(12): 3185. CrossRef
Risk of dyslipidemia in chronic hepatitis B patients taking tenofovir alafenamide: a systematic review and meta-analysis Eui Gwon Hwang, Eun-Ae Jung, Jeong-Ju Yoo, Sang Gyune Kim, Young Seok Kim Hepatology International.2023; 17(4): 860. CrossRef
Are the New Nucleos(t)ide Analogs Better than the Old Nucleos(t)ide Analogs? Jonggi Choi, Won-Mook Choi, Young-Suk Lim Clinics in Liver Disease.2023; 27(4): 809. CrossRef
ALT Is Not Associated With Achieving Subcirrhotic Liver Stiffness and HCC During Entecavir Therapy in HBV-Related Cirrhosis Mi Na Kim, Jae Seung Lee, Hye Won Lee, Beom Kyung Kim, Jun Yong Park, Do Young Kim, Sang Hoon Ahn, Se Young Jang, Won Young Tak, Young-Oh Kweon, Soo Young Park, Seung Up Kim Clinical Gastroenterology and Hepatology.2023; 21(9): 2278. CrossRef
Comparison of decline in renal function between patients with chronic hepatitis B with or without antiviral therapy Jae Seung Lee, Chan‐Young Jung, Jung Il Lee, Sang Hoon Ahn, Beom Seok Kim, Seung Up Kim Alimentary Pharmacology & Therapeutics.2023; 58(1): 99. CrossRef
A machine learning model for predicting hepatocellular carcinoma risk in patients with chronic hepatitis B Hye Won Lee, Hwiyoung Kim, Taeyun Park, Soo Young Park, Young Eun Chon, Yeon Seok Seo, Jae Seung Lee, Jun Yong park, Do Young Kim, Sang Hoon Ahn, Beom Kyung Kim, Seung Up Kim Liver International.2023; 43(8): 1813. CrossRef
Identification and Characterization of Besifovir-Resistant Hepatitis B Virus Isolated from a Chronic Hepatitis B Patient Jong Chul Kim, Hye Young Lee, Ah Ram Lee, Mehrangiz Dezhbord, Da Rae Lee, Seong Ho Kim, Juhee Won, Soree Park, Na Yeon Kim, Jae Jin Shin, Sang Gyune Kim, Young Seok Kim, Jeong-Ju Yoo, Kyun-Hwan Kim Biomedicines.2022; 10(2): 282. CrossRef
Association of Physical Activity with the Risk of Hepatocellular Carcinoma in Patients with Chronic Hepatitis B Ho Soo Chun, Sojeong Park, Minjong Lee, Yuri Cho, Ha Sung Kim, A Reum Choe, Hwi Young Kim, Kwon Yoo, Tae Hun Kim Cancers.2021; 13(14): 3424. CrossRef
Patients with chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection are at risk of developing hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), and serum markers reflecting viral replication are potential predictors for HCC development. Besides the levels of serum HBV DNA and hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg), hepatitis B core-related antigen (HBcrAg) quantification is an emerging serological marker for viral replication. Unlike HBV DNA and HBsAg, HBcrAg is a covalently closed circular DNA-derived protein marker, consisting of hepatitis B e antigen (HBeAg), p22cr, and hepatitis B core antigen. In treatment-naïve HBV patients, higher HBcrAg levels are shown to be associated with an increased risk of HCC in several studies. More importantly, HBcrAg may complement HBV DNA level to predict HCC development. For example, an Asian treatmentnaïve cohort study’s data showed that HBcrAg level of 4 log U/mL was effective to stratify HCC risk in HBeAg-negative patients with intermediate viral loads, who may not need antiviral therapy because of the low to moderate risk of HCC. In patients receiving prolonged nucleos(t)ide analogue with profound viral suppression, most data indicated that HBV DNA and HBsAg levels no longer serve as HCC predictors. However, several studies suggested on-treatment HBcrAg levels may remain as an HCC predictor. In summary, HBcrAg level can be a useful biomarker for treatment-naïve patients, but its value in on-treatment patients needs validation. The next challenge is how to combine HBcrAg with the other viral markers to construct a better HCC prediction model, optimizing the management of HBV patients.
Citations
Citations to this article as recorded by
Immunogenicity of an Intranasal Dual (Core and Surface)-Antigen Vaccine Against Hepatitis B Virus Enhanced by Carboxyl-Vinyl Polymer Excipients Md Haroon Or Rashid, Fumihiko Yasui, Takahiro Sanada, Risa Kono, Tomoko Honda, Bouchra Kitab, Lipi Akter, Masashi Utsunomiya, Risa Sato, Osamu Yoshida, Yoichi Hiasa, Yasunori Oda, Yasumasa Goh, Takashi Miyazaki, Michinori Kohara, Kyoko Tsukiyama-Kohara Vaccines.2025; 13(5): 464. CrossRef
Hepatitis B core-related antigen as a predictive biomarker for recurrence in primary hepatocellular carcinoma: A meta-analysis Ling-Bo Liang, Hai-Jun Zhang, Feng Liu, Qiao-Li Su World Journal of Gastrointestinal Oncology.2025;[Epub] CrossRef
Evaluation of Hepatitis B core-related antigen (HBcrAg) as a biomarker in cohorts from the United Kingdom and South Africa Louise O. Downs, Marion Delphin, Marije van Schalkwyk, Susan Hugo, Sheila F. Lumley, Elizabeth Waddilove, Tingyan Wang, Jacqueline Martin, Catherine de Lara, Arran Babbs, Monique I. Andersson, Richard H. Glashoff, M. Azim Ansari, Kosh Agarwal, Geoffrey Du Journal of Infection.2025; 91(3): 106601. CrossRef
The diagnostic value of hepatitis B core-related antigen in occult hepatitis B virus infection and its related hepatocellular carcinoma Fuguo Zhan, Caorui Lin, Xiufeng Wu, Zhen Xun, Ya Fu, Tianbin Chen, Siyi Xu, Can Liu, Qishui Ou, Jiawei Zhang International Journal of Infectious Diseases.2025; 161: 108139. CrossRef
Editorial: Beyond DNA Suppression: HBV RNA as a Predictor of Hepatocarcinogenesis Toshifumi Tada Alimentary Pharmacology & Therapeutics.2025;[Epub] CrossRef
Role of hepatitis B core‐related antigen in predicting the occurrence and recurrence of hepatocellular carcinoma in patients with chronic hepatitis B: A systemic review and meta‐analysis Qi‐Hang Cao, Hui Liu, Lun‐Jie Yan, Han‐Chao Wang, Zi‐Niu Ding, Xin‐Cheng Mao, Rui‐Zhe Li, Guo‐Qiang Pan, Xiao Zhang, Bao‐Wen Tian, Cheng‐Long Han, Zhao‐Ru Dong, Si‐Yu Tan, Dong‐Xu Wang, Yu‐Chuan Yan, Tao Li Journal of Gastroenterology and Hepatology.2024; 39(8): 1464. CrossRef
Disease modifiers and novel markers in hepatitis B virus-related hepatocellular carcinoma Lung-Yi Mak Journal of Liver Cancer.2024; 24(2): 145. CrossRef
HBV Biomarkers and Their Role in Guiding Treatment Decisions Lung-Yi Mak, Tobias Boettler, Upkar S. Gill Seminars in Liver Disease.2024; 44(04): 474. CrossRef
Post-operative recurrence of liver cancer according to antiviral therapy for detectable hepatitis B viremia: A nationwide study Byungyoon Yun, Sang Hoon Ahn, Juyeon Oh, Jin-Ha Yoon, Beom Kyung Kim European Journal of Internal Medicine.2023; 107: 66. CrossRef
Comparable Mortality Between Asian Patients with Chronic Hepatitis B Under Long-Term Antiviral Therapy vs Matched Control: A Population-Based Study Byungyoon Yun, Juyeon Oh, Sang Hoon Ahn, Jin-Ha Yoon, Beom Kyung Kim American Journal of Gastroenterology.2023; 118(6): 1001. CrossRef
Statin use is associated with better post‐operative prognosis among patients with hepatitis B virus‐related hepatocellular carcinoma Byungyoon Yun, Sang Hoon Ahn, Juyeon Oh, Jin‐Ha Yoon, Beom Kyung Kim European Journal of Clinical Investigation.2023;[Epub] CrossRef
A critique and systematic review of the clinical utility of hepatitis B core-related antigen Celina Adraneda, Yong Chuan Tan, Ee Jin Yeo, Guan Sen Kew, Atefeh Khakpoor, Seng Gee Lim Journal of Hepatology.2023; 78(4): 731. CrossRef
Moving toward hepatitis B virus functional cure - the impact of on-treatment kinetics of serum viral markers Lilian Yan Liang, Vincent Wai-Sun Wong, Grace Lai-Hung Wong, Terry Cheuk-Fung Yip Clinical and Molecular Hepatology.2023; 29(1): 113. CrossRef
New biomarkers of hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection: HBV RNA and HBV core-related antigen, new kids on the block? Young-Suk Lim Clinical and Molecular Hepatology.2023; 29(1): 118. CrossRef
Low Hepatitis B Core–Related Antigen Levels Correlate Higher Spontaneous Seroclearance of Hepatitis B Surface Antigen in Chronic Hepatitis B Patients With High Hepatitis B Surface Antigen Levels Tai-Chung Tseng, Chieh Chiang, Chun-Jen Liu, Chun-Ming Hong, Tung-Hung Su, Hung-Chih Yang, Wan-Ting Yang, Chen-Hua Liu, Pei-Jer Chen, Jia-Horng Kao Gastroenterology.2023; 164(4): 669. CrossRef
The role of different viral biomarkers on the management of chronic hepatitis B Lung-Yi Mak, Rex Wan-Hin Hui, James Fung, Wai Kay Seto, Man-Fung Yuen Clinical and Molecular Hepatology.2023; 29(2): 263. CrossRef
Outcome of untreated low-level viremia versus antiviral therapy-induced or spontaneous undetectable HBV-DNA in compensated cirrhosis Daniel Q. Huang, Nobuharu Tamaki, Hyung Woong Lee, Soo Young Park, Yu Rim Lee, Hye Won Lee, Seng Gee Lim, Tae Seop Lim, Masayuki Kurosaki, Hiroyuki Marusawa, Toshie Mashiba, Masahiko Kondo, Yasushi Uchida, Haruhiko Kobashi, Koichiro Furuta, Namiki Izumi, Hepatology.2023; 77(5): 1746. CrossRef
Efficacy of Antiviral Prophylaxis up to 6 or 12 Months From Completion of Rituximab in Resolved Hepatitis B Patients: A Multicenter, Randomized Study Heejoon Jang, Su Jong Yu, Hong Ghi Lee, Tae Min Kim, Yun Bin Lee, Eun Ju Cho, Jeong-Hoon Lee, Jung-Hwan Yoon, Yoon Jun Kim Journal of Korean Medical Science.2023;[Epub] CrossRef
Diagnostic Performance of Precore Protein 22 Kilodalton Levels of HBV DNA in Chronic Hepatitis B Patients Mas Aditya Senaputra, B. Rina A. Sidharta, Lusi Oka Wardhani INDONESIAN JOURNAL OF CLINICAL PATHOLOGY AND MEDICAL LABORATORY.2023; 29(3): 282. CrossRef
Hepatitis B core-related antigen: A novel and promising surrogate biomarker to guide anti-hepatitis B virus therapy Takako Inoue, Takehisa Watanabe, Yasuhito Tanaka Clinical and Molecular Hepatology.2023; 29(4): 851. CrossRef
Interpreting Serogical Markers in Hepatitis B Virus Infection Yasmeen Ahmed, Mohamed El-Kassas Infectious Diseases in Clinical Practice.2023;[Epub] CrossRef
Looking Into the Crystal Ball: A Novel Biomarker for Outcomes of Patients With Chronic Hepatitis B Virus Infection Tai‐Chung Tseng, Jer‐Wei Wu, Jia‐Horng Kao Hepatology Communications.2022; 6(1): 5. CrossRef
Letter to the editor: New kid in the playground: HBcrAg and risk of HCC Jer‐Wei Wu, Tai‐Chung Tseng, Jia‐Horng Kao Hepatology.2022; 75(3): 760. CrossRef
Comparable Efficacy Between Ongoing Versus Initiation of Antiviral Therapy at Treatment for HBV-related Hepatocellular Carcinoma Mi Na Kim, Beom Kyung Kim, Yun Ho Roh, Na Ryung Choi, Su Jong Yu, Seung Up Kim Clinical Gastroenterology and Hepatology.2022; 20(8): 1877. CrossRef
Hepatitis B Core-Related Antigen Stratifies the Risk of Liver Cancer in HBeAg-Negative Patients With Indeterminate Phase Tai-Chung Tseng, Tetsuya Hosaka, Chun-Jen Liu, Fumitaka Suzuki, Chun-Ming Hong, Hiromitsu Kumada, Wan-Ting Yang, Chen-Yang Hsu, Tung-Hung Su, Hung-Chih Yang, Chen-Hua Liu, Pei-Jer Chen, Hsiu-Hsi Chen, Jia-Horng Kao American Journal of Gastroenterology.2022; 117(5): 748. CrossRef
Prognostic Impact of MAFLD Following Surgical Resection of Hepatitis B Virus-Related Hepatocellular Carcinoma: A Nationwide Cohort Study Byungyoon Yun, Sang Hoon Ahn, Juyeon Oh, Jin-Ha Yoon, Beom Kyung Kim Cancers.2022; 14(20): 5002. CrossRef
Surveillance for hepatocellular carcinoma: It is time to move forward Bo Hyun Kim, Yuri Cho, Joong-Won Park Clinical and Molecular Hepatology.2022; 28(4): 810. CrossRef
Suboptimal Performance of Hepatocellular Carcinoma Prediction Models in Patients with Hepatitis B Virus-Related Cirrhosis Jae Lee, Tae Lim, Hye Lee, Seung Kim, Jun Park, Do Kim, Sang Ahn, Hyun Lee, Jung Lee, Ja Kim, In Min, Beom Kim Diagnostics.2022; 13(1): 3. CrossRef
Novel Biomarkers of Hepatitis B Virus and Their Use in Chronic Hepatitis B Patient Management Alicia Vachon, Carla Osiowy Viruses.2021; 13(6): 951. CrossRef
The association between hepatocarcinogenesis and intracellular alterations due to hepatitis B virus infection Masataka Tsuge Liver International.2021; 41(12): 2836. CrossRef
Neuropilin-1: A feasible link between liver pathologies and COVID-19 Aitor Benedicto, Iñigo García-Kamiruaga, Beatriz Arteta World Journal of Gastroenterology.2021; 27(24): 3516. CrossRef
First
Prev
