Abstract

Background: Chronic HBV infection progresses silently and is a leading cause of cirrhosis and liver cancer. Objectives: To investigate the epidemiological and subclinical features of treatment-naive chronic hepatitis B patients and determine the proportion of patients eligible for antiviral treatment. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional descriptive study was conducted on 225 treatment-naive chronic hepatitis B patients at Quang Nam Regional General Hospital from April 2025 to August 2025. Results: The mean age was 44.4 ± 13.4 years, with the 40-59 age group accounting for the highest proportion (46.7%). The gender distribution was nearly equal (males 50.2%, females 49.8%). A family history of HBV was reported in 46.2% of patients. Mean levels were: ALT 52.9 ± 45.2 U/L, AST 46.2 ± 34.6 U/L, HBsAg 3785 ± 2216 UI/ml, and the median HBV-DNA level was 3.14 (IQR: 2.67) log10 IU/mL. The HBeAg positive rate was 22.2%. In the HBeAg-negative group, ALT had a weak positive correlation with HBV-DNA (r = 0.295, p < 0.05). The proportion of patients eligible for antiviral treatment was 42.7%. Conclusion: Treatment-naive chronic hepatitis B patients are predominantly working-age adults. A significant proportion (42.7%) meets the criteria for antiviral therapy, indicating a high demand for disease management.