Does Hepatitis B Virus Affect the Coagulation Parameters for HBV-Related Decompensated Cirrhosis?

BACKGROUND To evaluate the effect of the hepatitis B virus (HBV) on the coagulation parameters in patients with hepatitis B virus-related decompensated cirrhosis (HBV-DeCi). METHODS A retrospective analysis was conducted on the medical records of 112 patients with HBV-DeCi. Baseline clinical and laboratory characteristics were retrieved. Subjects were subdivided into 3 groups. Group I: 22 cases of hepatitis B were HBsAg, HBeAg, and HbcAb positive; Group II: 67 patients were HBsAg, HBeAb, and HbcAb positive; Group III: 23 patients were HBsAb, HBeAb and HbcAb positive. The coagulation indicators, such as prothrombin time (PT), activated partial thromboplastin time (APTT), thrombin time (TT), fibrinogen (FIB), and international normalized ratio (INR, a method to standardize reporting of the PT, using the formula, INR = (PTpatient/PTcontrol)ISI) of each groups were analyzed, The correlation between the characteristics of coagulation function and the type of hepatitis infection were studied. RESULTS The FIB values of Group I and II were lower than those of Group III, and Group I had significantly longer TT compared to Group III. CONCLUSIONS In patients with HBV-DeCi, hepatitis B virus has an effect on coagulation parameters; therefore, antiviral treatment must be carried out as soon as possible.