Table 1 Clinical characteristics of HBeAg negative patients included in this study

All HBeAg negative patients, n (samples, n)

116 (220)

Age at sampling time, years

63 (25–86)

Sex, Male / Female

82 / 34

HBV DNA positive, n (samples, n)

37 (60)

Serum HBV DNA levels, log₁₀ copies/mL

5.9 (2–9.7)

HBsAg levels, log₁₀IU/mL

2.6 (0–4.6)

ALT levels (IU/L)

24 (10–2130)

Patients not under treatment, n (samples, n)

37* (60)

Patients on nucleos(t)ide analogues (NA), n (samples, n)

103* (160)

Duration of NA treatment at sampling, months

74 (1–220)

Patients who stopped NAs, n (EOT samples, n)

73* (74) **

Duration of NA treatment, months

75 (36–220)

Follow-up after NA discontinuation, months

15 (1–96)

Virological relapse within 1st year, n

42

Clinical relapse within 1st year, n

21

Retreatment within 1st year, n

14

Functional cure in long term follow-up

33