The relationship between HBV serum markers and the clinicopathological characteristics of hepatitis B virus-associated glomerulonephritis (HBV-GN) in the northeastern chinese population

BACKGROUND: To investigate the effect of HBV markers on HBV-GN. METHODS: The immunohistochemistry was used to detect HBsAg and HBcAg in frozen sections of renal biopsy, the changes in HBV serum markers, renal functional parameters and clinical manifestations or symptoms were observed to analyze renal damage. RESULTS: Using renal biopsy data from 329 cases, this study found that the most common pathological subtype in HBV-GN was mesangioproliferative glomerulonephritis (MsPGN) (24.9%, P <0.05), and 29.4% of patients who show serological HBsAg, HBeAg and anti-HBc positive developed membranoproliferative glomerulonephritis (MPGN) (P <0.05). The immunohistochemistry was used to detect HBsAg and HBcAg in frozen sections.50% of HBsAg and HBcAg deposits was observed in the glomeruli of MPGN patients, while 36.6% of HBsAg and 43.9% of HBcAg deposited in the glomeruli of MsPGN patients. The deposits of HBsAg and HBcAg in glomeruli were directly correlated with IgA, IgG, IgM and C3 deposits. In addition, cases with a moderate to severe decrease as reflected by the glomerular filtration rate (GFR) were predominantly patients with MPGN (31.6%, P <0.05) or MsPGN (21.1%, P <0.05). Patients who were serological HBsAg, HBeAg and anti-HBc positive or HBsAg, anti-HBe and anti-HBc positive mainly exhibited urine and renal parameter changes. CONCLUSION: Examination of HBV markers in serum and renal biopsy will be useful for clinicians to predict the renal damage in early stage when it is reversible in HBV-GN.