title: Prevalence of hepatitis B virus marker positivity and evolution of hepatitis B virus profile, during chemotherapy, in patients with solid tumours.
abstract: To prospectively evaluate the prevalence of hepatitis B virus (HBV) positivity and study the evolution of HBV profile during cancer chemotherapy, serum HBV markers and liver biochemistry were determined in 1008 of 1402 (72%) cancer patients admitted in our Unit and in all 920 (91 %) who received chemotherapy. We found that 54 (5.3%) were HBsAg carriers while 443 (44%) had at least one HBV marker positive. Of the latter, 405 (91%) were HBcAb+ve, 321 (72%) HBsAb+ve and 212 (48%) HBeAb+ve. No patient was HBeAg+ve. Among 920 chemotherapy receivers, 374 (41%) were HBcAb+ve, 280 (30%) HBsAb+ve and 178 (19%) HBeAb+ve. Fifty (5.4%) were HBsAg carriers (versus 0.6% in Greek blood donors). All 50 were systematically screened for HBsAg and HBsAb status throughout chemotherapy, during follow-up or until their death, and liver biochemistry was performed before each chemotherapy course. Stable antigenaemia was observed in 43/50 (86%) while 7/50 (14%) developed clinical and/or biochemical hepatitis. Six of these seven developed serum anti-HBs antibodies with an associated decrease of serum HBsAg titres. We conclude that reactivation of HBV infection during chemotherapy is not rare (14%), while disappearance of HBs antigenaemia is neither a frequent nor usually a permanent phenomenon.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Oncology, Evangelismos Hospital, Athens, Greece.
authors.forename: C G
authors.initials: CG
authors.lastname: Alexopoulos
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Vaslamatzis
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Hatzidimitriou
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D002353:Carrier State / Q000097:blood / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000821:virology*; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006115:Greece / Q000453:epidemiology; D006509:Hepatitis B / Q000097:blood / Q000453:epidemiology; D006510:Hepatitis B Antibodies / Q000097:blood; D006514:Hepatitis B Surface Antigens / Q000097:blood; D006513:Hepatitis B e Antigens / Q000097:blood; D006515:Hepatitis B virus / Q000276:immunology / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D006801:Humans; D008099:Liver / Q000201:enzymology / Q000502:physiology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000097:blood / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000821:virology*; D011446:Prospective Studies; D016036:Seroepidemiologic Studies; D014775:Virus Activation
chemical_list: D006510:Hepatitis B Antibodies; D006514:Hepatitis B Surface Antigens; D006513:Hepatitis B e Antigens