# Hepatitis B Core-Related Antigen Point-of-Care Tests as a Risk Stratification Tool for Treatment Eligibility: Experience From Kenya

## TL;DR

A point-of-care test for hepatitis B core-related antigen in Kenya helps identify patients who need treatment based on their viral load and liver health indicators.

## Contribution

The study demonstrates the utility of a point-of-care test for hepatitis B core-related antigen in identifying treatment-eligible patients in a resource-limited setting.

## Key findings

- A positive test identified all individuals with a hepatitis B viral load >200,000 IU/mL and who were hepatitis B e antigen positive.
- The test correlated with higher ALT levels, APRI scores, and elastography scores.
- This suggests the test can be used for risk stratification in treatment decisions.

## Abstract

We undertook a point-of-care test for hepatitis B core-related antigen in adults with hepatitis B virus in Kilifi, Kenya. A positive test identified all individuals with a hepatitis B viral load >200 000 IU/mL and who were hepatitis B e antigen positive. It also correlated with a higher alanine aminotransferase (ALT) level (P = .03), raised aspartate transaminase-to-platelet ratio index (APRI) (P < .001), and higher elastography scores (P = .03).