Positive anti-HBe results usually indicate inactivity of the virus and low infectivity.

Positive anti-HBe results in the presence of detectable HBV DNA in serum also indicate

active viral replication in these patients.

Patients with HBeAg?negative CHB have a naturally occurring mutant form of HBV

that does not produce HBeAg because of a mutation in the precore or core promoter

region of the HBV genome.