Seroreversion of hepatitis B surface antigen among subjects with resolved hepatitis B virus infection: A community‐based cohort study

Background and Aim Hepatitis B virus (HBV) surface antigen (HBsAg) seroreversion usually occurs during immunosuppressive therapy. The risk and factors of HBsAg seroreversion from resolved HBV infection in the general population remained unclear. Methods This retrospective study enrolled subjects with resolved HBV infection and who had received at least two times of screening in a longitudinal community screening program. HBsAg, hepatitis B surface antibody (anti‐HBs), and hepatitis C virus antibody (anti‐HCV) were tested every time in all subjects. The primary endpoint was HBsAg seroreversion. Results Of the 7630 subjects enrolled, 5158 (67.6%) subjects had positive anti‐HBs at baseline. HBsAg seroreversion occurred in 84 subjects during 42 815‐person‐year follow‐up with an annual incidence of 0.2% and a 10‐year cumulative risk of 1.9%. Anti‐HBV treatment‐experienced subjects had a significantly higher risk of HBsAg seroreversion than anti‐HBV treatment‐naive subjects (83/310 [26.8%] vs 1/7320 [0.01%], P