Incidence and predictors of hepatitis B surface antigen seroclearance after cessation of nucleos(t)ide analogue therapy in hepatitis B e antigen-negative chronic hepatitis B.

The incidence of HBsAg seroclearance after stopping Nuc was much higher than that during therapy and highest in patients without virologic and clinical relapse; patients with clinical relapse who remained untreated had a 7.34 times higher incidence of HBsAg clearance than those who received retreatment, suggesting that transient untreated clinical relapse may drive sufficient immune control to functional cure. (Hepatology 2017).