Abstract: Objective The aim of this study was to investigate impacting factors on early virological response (EVR) in patients with serum HBeAg-negative chronic hepatitis B (CHB) undergoing pegylated interferon α-2b (PEG-IFN-α2b) therapy. Methods This clinical trial enrolled 156 serum HBeAg-negative patients with CHB in our hospital between January 2018 and January 2024, and all received PEG-IFNα-2b therapy. Serum HBV markers were detected by ELISA, serum HBV DNA loads were assayed by PCR, and peripheral blood lymphocyte subsets were determined by FCM. Multivariate Logistic regression analysis was applied to explore factors affecting EVR, which was evaluated at end of 12 week antiviral treatment. Results By end of 12 week treatment, the EVR was obtained in 62 cases(39.7) in our series; concomitant fatty liver percentage, peripheral blood CD8⁺ cell percentage, serum HBsAg level and HBV DNA load in patients with EVR were 14.5%, (33.4±4.2)%, (3.6±0.5)lgIU/ mL and (6.0±1.2)lgIU/ mL, all significantly lower than [29.8%, (38.6±4.3)%, (8.3±2.7)lgIU/ mL and (7.5±1.4)lgIU/ mL, respectively, P<0.05], while serum ALT level, peripheral blood CD3⁺ and CD4⁺ cell percentages were (143.3± 5.1)(U/ L, (46.3±5.1)% and (31.1±4.3)%, all significantly higher than [(46.1±5.6)(U/ L, (40.0±4.8)% and (25.2±3.7)%, respectively, P<0.05] in those without EVR; multivariate Logistic regression analysis showed that baseline serum HBsAg levels, HBV DNA loads and T lymphocyte subsets were the independent factors impacting EVR acquirement in patients with serum HBeAg-negative CHB(P＜0.05). Conclusion Some host and viral factors could impact virological response in patients with CHB undergoing Peg-IFNα-2b antiviral treatment, which needs further investigation and might help clinicians making an appropriate antiviral strategy.

Key words: Hepatitis B, Hepatitis B e antigen, Pegylated interferon α-2b, Therapy, Early virological response