Serum Levels of Annexin A2 as a Candidate Biomarker for Hepatic Fibrosis in Patients With Chronic Hepatitis B.

BACKGROUND

Hepatologists have studied serologic markers of liver injury for decades. Annexins are a prominent group of such markers and annexin A2 (AnxA2) is one of the best characterized annexins. AnxA2 inhibits HBV polymerase among other functions. Its expression is up-regulated in regenerative hepatocytes.

OBJECTIVES

To determine if serum AnxA2 level has a role in estimating liver damage in chronic HBV infection and investigate whether AnxA2 levels correlate with hepatic fibrosis.

PATIENTS AND

METHODS

This study included 173 patients with chronic hepatitis B (CHB) and 51 healthy controls. Liver fibrosis was graded histologically on liver biopsy samples. Blood samples were taken from patients during biopsy and serum AnxA2 levels were measured with ELISA.

RESULTS

In a group of adult patients with CHB, AnxA2 values were far higher than those of the control group (P = 0.001). When we assessed AnxA2 levels based on fibrosis stages, serum AnxA2 levels of patients with early stage fibrosis (stages 1 - 3) were significantly higher than those of patients with advanced stage fibrosis (stages 4 - 5; P = 0.001).

CONCLUSIONS

AnxA2 is a useful biomarker for early stage fibrosis in patients with CHB.