Data collection
All subjects were followed up every six months. Baseline clinical and
laboratory data were obtained through physical examination,
questionnaire, routine blood test, FibroScan (controlled attenuation
parameter [CAP] and liver stiffness measurement [LSM]), and
virological examination. The participants were required to fast for at
least 10 h before blood collection. Plasma and serum were collected and
stored within 2 hours at −80 °C. Serum ALT levels were measured using an
automatic biochemical analyzer (Olympus, Tokyo, Japan) according to the
standard protocol. HBV DNA levels and serological markers were measured
using the Roche COBAS TaqMan platform (lower limit of detection for HBV
DNA: 20 IU/mL) and the Elecsys immunoassay (Roche, Basel, Switzerland)
at the Hepatology Unit of Nanfang Hospital.