Efficacy of a combination of HBV RNA and HBeAg in predicting HBeAg seroconversion in patients treated with entecavir for 144 weeks

•The dynamic changes of HBV RNA, the correlation of HBV RNA with cccDNA, and the performance of HBV RNA combined with known HBV markers in predicting HBeAg seroconversion during entecavir treatment were analyzed in the same cohort.•The serum HBV RNA was positively correlated with cccDNA among all patients at baseline, but the correlation disappeared in the HBeAg seroconversion group at week 48.•The combination of HBV RNA and HBeAg at week 24 was a powerful predictor of HBeAg seroconversion in HBeAg positive patients with 144-week entecavir treatment.