title: Primary prophylaxis with lamivudine of hepatitis B virus reactivation in chronic HbsAg carriers with lymphoid malignancies treated with chemotherapy.
abstract: Hepatitis B virus (HBV) reactivation of various degrees of severity, including fulminant hepatitis, may develop in 20-50% of hepatitis B virus surface antigen (HbsAg)-positive patients undergoing immunosuppressive or cytostatic treatment. Lamivudine is a nucleoside analogue that can directly suppress HBV replication. We have performed a pilot study to test the efficacy and tolerability of lamivudine as a primary prophylaxis of HBV reactivation in 20 consecutive patients treated for haematological malignancies, mainly of lymphoid origin. Lamivudine, 100 mg/d, was given orally from the start until 1 month after the end of chemotherapy, which included corticosteroids and/or purine analogues in 85% of cases. It was well tolerated and did not cause any unexpected reduction of cytostatic drugs dosages. The chemotherapy programme was completed in all patients without modifications. A transient threefold increase in serum amylase was observed in one case. HBV-DNA levels decreased in six out of six patients (P = 0.039) and ALT levels in five out of six patients (P = 0.057) whose serum levels were abnormal at the onset of therapy. Two patients developed transient hepatitis. HBV reactivation was documented in only one of these patients who had stopped lamivudine 1 month before. No signs of HBV reactivation were detected both during and after treatment in 18 patients with a median follow-up of 6 months (range 3-12). Thus, primary prophylaxis with lamivudine may be a well tolerated and effective method to reduce the frequency of chemotherapy-induced HBV reactivation in chronic HBsAg carriers.
authors.affiliation: Sezione Ematologia, Università di Brescia, Spedali Civili, Brescia, Italy. rossi@bshosp.osp.unibs.it
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Rossi
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Pelizzari
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Motta
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Puoti
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D000998:Antiviral Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D003520:Cyclophosphamide / Q000008:administration & dosage; D003561:Cytarabine / Q000008:administration & dosage; D004317:Doxorubicin / Q000008:administration & dosage; D005260:Female; D016179:Granulocyte Colony-Stimulating Factor / Q000008:administration & dosage; D019337:Hematologic Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000821:virology; D006509:Hepatitis B / Q000517:prevention & control*; D006514:Hepatitis B Surface Antigens / Q000097:blood; D006515:Hepatitis B virus / Q000254:growth & development; D006689:Hodgkin Disease / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000821:virology; D006801:Humans; D019259:Lamivudine / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D015451:Leukemia, Lymphocytic, Chronic, B-Cell / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000821:virology; D007951:Leukemia, Myeloid / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000821:virology; D008228:Lymphoma, Non-Hodgkin / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000821:virology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009101:Multiple Myeloma / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000821:virology; D010865:Pilot Projects; D011241:Prednisone / Q000008:administration & dosage; D014740:Vidarabine / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000031:analogs & derivatives; D014750:Vincristine / Q000008:administration & dosage; D014775:Virus Activation / Q000187:drug effects
chemical_list: D000998:Antiviral Agents; D006514:Hepatitis B Surface Antigens; D003561:Cytarabine; D016179:Granulocyte Colony-Stimulating Factor; D019259:Lamivudine; D014750:Vincristine; D004317:Doxorubicin; D003520:Cyclophosphamide; D014740:Vidarabine; D011241:Prednisone