Molecular characteristics and stages of chronic hepatitis B virus infection

Table 1 Characteristics of chronic hepatitis B at different stages

Phase	ALT	HBsAg	HBeAg	HBeAb	HBV DNA (IU/mL)	Th cell biased	Liver histology
Immune tolerance	Usually normal	Present	Present	Absent	≥ 20 000	Th2 cell	Normal or mild inflammation
Immune clearance	Elevated	Present	Present	Absent	≥ 20 000	Th2/Th1 cell	Active inflammation
Inactive HBsAg carrier	Usually normal; can have flares	Present	Absent	Present	> 20 000	Th1 cell	Mild inflammation or inactive cirrhosis
HBeAg- CHB	Perioid flares	Present	Absent	Present	> 20 000	Th1 cell	Active inflammation
					< 20 000
Occult hepatitis B	Rarely elevated	Absent	Absent	Present when HBV recovered	< 20 000	Th1 cell	From normal to cirrhosis HCC