Kranidioti H, et al. - In order to assess the optimal duration of treatment with nucleos(t)ide analogues (NAs) for patients with HBeAg-negative chronic hepatitis B (CHB), researchers sought for an immune signature that could be associated with off-treatment remission to NA therapy. Using samples from six patients with chronic hepatitis B who stopped NA therapy (three with off-treatment remission, three with relapse) and five patients with chronic HBV infection (previously termed ‘inactive carriers’) served as controls, microarray analysis of peripheral blood mononuclear cell (PBMCs) was done. Using qRT-PCR, they validated the results on a second group of 21 individuals (17 patients who stopped treatment and four controls). They analyzed PBMCs from 38 patients on long-term nucleos(t)ide analogue (NA) treatment for the potential to stop treatment. As per data gained, a distinct immune signature is exhibited by patients with HBeAg-negative CHB who remain in off-treatment remission 3 years after NA cessation. Logistic regression identified PBMC RNA levels of IFNγ, IL-8, FASLG and CCL4 as the most significant, which have potential value as biomarkers for stopping NA therapy.