Serum hepatitis B core antibody levels predict HBeAg seroconversion in chronic hepatitis B patients with high viral load treated with nucleos(t)ide analogs Shaohang Cai,* Zhandong Li,* Tao Yu, Muye Xia, Jie Peng Department of Infectious Diseases and Hepatology Unit, NanFang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong Province, China *These authors contributed equally to this work Background: Patients with chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection who are hepatitis B virus e antigen (HBeAg) positive are increasingly being treated with nucleos(t)ide analogs (NUCs). However, the predictive value of serum hepatitis B virus core antibody (HBcAb) levels for HBeAg seroconversion among patients with high viral load remains unclear. Methods: This study consisted of 74 patients with high viral load (HBV DNA >1 × 107 copies/mL) enrolled in a multicenter, randomized, controlled trial, treated with lamivudine and adefovir (N