Outcome in Caucasian patients with hepatitis B e antigen negative chronic infection: A long‐term observational cohort study

Sensitive polymerase chain reaction assays to measure hepatitis B virus (HBV) DNA became only available the last decade. Hence, the long‐term outcome of Caucasian patients in Western Europe with hepatitis B e antigen (HBeAg)‐negative chronic infection, especially with a baseline HBV DNA level ⩾2000 IU/mL, is still unclear. Out of a cohort of 1936 chronic HBV patients, 413 Caucasian individuals were identified with HBeAg‐negative chronic infection, defined as persistently normal alanine aminotransferase (ALT) levels and HBV DNA levels 2 × upper limit of normal due to non‐HBV‐related causes. The cumulative probability of spontaneously developing CAH after 10 years was almost exclusively seen in patients with baseline HBV DNA level ⩾2000 IU/mL (11.7% vs 1.2%; P 2000 IU/mL have a favourable long‐term prognosis. Baseline HBV DNA level