Seroprevalence of HBsAg in Patients with Chronic Liver Disease and Hepatocellular Carcinoma at the Earliest Endpoint of treatment: A Cross-Sectional Study Seroprevalence of HBsAg in Patients with Chronic Liver Disease and Hepatocellular Carcinoma

Background: The ideal goal of therapy of Hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection should be host sterilization which corresponding to clearance of HBsAg from serum and of covalently closed circular DNA (cccDNA) from hepatocytes. Good combination of actual therapies may allow achievement of HBV sterilization in host. The aim of this study was to highlight seroprevalence of HBsAg in patients with chronic liver disease and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) at the earliest endpoint of treatment. Methods: During a cross-sectional study, consenting participants with chronic liver disease and HCC recruited between December 2020 and March 2022 at the Yaoundé General Hospital (YGH) and the University Teaching Hospital of Yaoundé (UTHY) provided five milliliters of blood sample. A qualitative search for HBsAg was performed by Rapid Diagnostic Tests (RDTs) and Monolisa™ HBs Ag ULTRA. Data analysis were performed using SPSS Version 25.0 software. Results: Out of the 135 patients tested for HBsAg, 69 samples were positive simultaneously with RDTs and Monolisa™ HBs Ag ULTRA, 37 (100.0%), 19 (100.0%), 13 (100.0%) respectively in participants with chronic hepatitis, cirrhosis, and HCC (P<0.000 1). Conclusion: Our results showed a high prevalence of HBsAg in patients with chronic liver disease and hepatocellular carcinoma at the 24th week of their treatment.