Hepatitis B Core-Related Antigen Point-of-Care Tests as a Risk Stratification Tool for Treatment Eligibility: Experience From Kenya

Downs LO., Okanda D., Chirro O., Zaharani M., Safari B., Aliyan N., Andersson MI., Tanaka Y., Etyang AO., Shimakawa Y., Githinji G., Matthews PC.

We undertook a point-of-care test for hepatitis B core-related antigen in adults with hepatitis B virus in Kilifi, Kenya. A positive test identified all individuals with a hepatitis B viral load >200 000 IU/mL and who were hepatitis B e antigen positive. It also correlated with a higher alanine aminotransferase (ALT) level (P = .03), raised aspartate transaminase-to-platelet ratio index (APRI) (P < .001), and higher elastography scores (P = .03).

DOI

10.1093/ofid/ofaf125

Type

Journal

Open Forum Infectious Diseases

Publisher

Oxford University Press

Publication Date

06/03/2025

Volume

12

Keywords

HBV, point-of-care diagnostics, treatment, hepatitis B core-related antigen, liver disease

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