Harnessing hepatitis B core-related antigen measurement to optimize posttreatment monitoring

[...]modeling a time-varying explanatory variable is distinctly different from analyzing changes between repeated measurements over time, as time-varying variables preserve the exact data points with time indices [4]. [...]our analysis demonstrates that the most recent HBcrAg value relative to CR is most predictive of risk, regardless of prior values. Rather, our finding is supported by the results of a multivariable Cox proportional hazards model specifically examining the associations of these biomarkers with CR risk. [...]our study does not argue against the predictive value of EOT qHBsAg, which has been shown in prior studies, including our own [6,7]. SUMMARY In summary, while the HBcrAg assay limitations restrict detecting subtle kinetic fluctuations posttreatment, this does not refute that the most recent level outperforms the EOT measurement for CR forecasting, irrespective of prior trajectories. Besides this, our multivariate modeling demonstrated that time-varying HBcrAg is more predictive of CR than dynamic HBsAg, although isolated comparisons might show comparable capacities.