title: Hepatitis B virus reactivation and alemtuzumab therapy.
abstract: Reactivation of hepatitis B virus infection in subjects receiving cytotoxic treatment for heamatological malignancies occurs in 21-53% of chronic HBsAg carriers and in an unknown number of HBsAg negative subjects harbouring occult HBV infection. Immunotherapy with alemtuzumab, a humanized monoclonal antibody against CD52 epitopes on lymphocytes cells produces deep immunosuppression. We describe two subjects with chronic lymphocytic leukaemia and occult HBV infection who developed a virological and biochemical flare of hepatitis B following immunotherapy with alemtuzumab. One of them developed full blown hepatitis with seroreversion from anti-HBs to HBsAg after four weeks of alemtuzumab therapy. Lamivudine (100 mg die) achieved a complete clinical recovery and HBV-DNA clearance from blood within 8 weeks. The second patient (HBsAg and HBV-DNA seronegative, anti-HBs and anti-HBc positive before treatment) was kept under prophylaxis with lamivudine up to three months after alemtuzumab. Two months after withdrawal of lamivudine, clinical and laboratory features of acute hepatitis B developed. Lamivudine therapy was restarted and a prompt recovery was obtained with HBsAg and HBV-DNA clearance.
authors.affiliation: Department of Oncology, Haematology, and BMT Unit, University of Palermo, Palermo, Italy. eiannito@tin.it
authors.forename: Emilio
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Iannitto
authors.forename: Viviana
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Minardi
authors.forename: Giuseppina
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Calvaruso
authors.forename: Antonino
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Mulè
authors.forename: Emanuele
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Ammatuna
authors.forename: Rosa
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Di Trapani
authors.forename: Rosa D
authors.initials: RD
authors.lastname: Trapani
authors.forename: Donatella
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Ferraro
authors.forename: Vincenzo
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Abbadessa
authors.forename: Antonio
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Craxí
authors.forename: Rosa
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Di Stefano
authors.forename: Rosa D
authors.initials: RD
authors.lastname: Stefano
mesh_terms: D000074323:Alemtuzumab; D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D061067:Antibodies, Monoclonal, Humanized; D000912:Antibodies, Neoplasm / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D004279:DNA, Viral / Q000097:blood; D005260:Female; D006509:Hepatitis B / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000188:drug therapy; D006514:Hepatitis B Surface Antigens / Q000097:blood; D006515:Hepatitis B virus; D006801:Humans; D007165:Immunosuppression Therapy / Q000009:adverse effects; D019259:Lamivudine / Q000627:therapeutic use; D015451:Leukemia, Lymphocytic, Chronic, B-Cell / Q000150:complications* / Q000188:drug therapy; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D018894:Reverse Transcriptase Inhibitors / Q000627:therapeutic use; D014775:Virus Activation
chemical_list: D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D061067:Antibodies, Monoclonal, Humanized; D000912:Antibodies, Neoplasm; D004279:DNA, Viral; D006514:Hepatitis B Surface Antigens; D018894:Reverse Transcriptase Inhibitors; D019259:Lamivudine; D000074323:Alemtuzumab