Abstract: Objective This study was conducted to explore impact of apolipoprotein B (ApoB) gene polymorphisms on response to pegylated interferon alpha-2b (peg-IFN-α2b) treatment in patients with serum HBeAg-positive chronic hepatitis B (CHB). Methods Sixty-five serum HBeAg-positive patients with CHB were encountered in our hospital between May 2019 and May 2022, and all received peg- IFN-α2b antiviral treatment for 48 weeks. Serum HBsAg and HBeAg, and HBV DNA loads were routinely assayed, and single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) of ApoB gene was determined by gene chip. Multivariate Logistic regression analysis was applied to predict impacting factors. Results By end of 48-week antiviral treatment, complete response (CR) was 38.5% and partial response (PR) was 61.5%; baseline serum HBsAg and HBV DNA loads in patients with CR were (2.2±0.5)lg IU/mL and (6.1±1.5)lg IU/mL, both significantly lower than [(6.2±1.7)lg IU/mL and (7.1±1.3)lg IU/mL, respectively, P<0.05], while serum ALT and AST levels were (134.6±17.6)U/L and (112.6±16.3)U/L, both significantly higher than [(62.6±14.8)U/L and (60.6±10.2)U/L, respectively, P<0.05] in those with PR; as for ApoB gene rs10199768 locus, percentage of AC genotype and A allele frequencies in patients with CR were 80.0% and 60.0%, both significantly higher than 37.5% and 25.0%(P<0.05) in those with PR; as for rs1367117 gene, percentage of GG genotype and G allele frequencies in patients with CR were 28.0% and 20.0%, both significantly lower than 67.5% and 60.0% in those with PR (P<0.05); multivariate Logistic regression analysis showed that rs10199768 and rs1367117 SNP were independent factors impacting response to peg-IFN-α2b treatment in patients with serum HBeAg positive CHB (OR=5.078, OR=4.933, both P<0.05). Conclusion SNP of ApoB gene might impact response to peg-IFN-α2b antiviral treatment in patients with serum HBeAg positive CHB, and needs further clinical verification.

Key words: Hepatitis B, Pegylated interferon alpha-2b, Apolipoprotein B gene, Polymorphism, Therapy, Response