title: Should we routinely treat patients with autoimmune/rheumatic diseases and chronic hepatitis B virus infection starting biologic therapies with antiviral agents? Yes.
abstract: It is well established that hepatitis B virus (HBV) reactivation is common among patients with various hematological or neoplastic diseases who receive chemotherapeutic agents without appropriate antiviral prophylaxis and is associated with significant morbidity and mortality. A number of recent studies have indicated that treatment with anti-tumor necrosis factor (TNF) agents in patients with autoimmune/rheumatic diseases carries a similar risk. Furthermore, appropriate pre-emptive treatment with oral antivirals appears to significantly reduce that risk and should be routinely implemented in clinical practice. Similar data are available for B-cell depleting agents like rituximab from the hematology literature, indicating the need for a similar approach in patients with autoimmune diseases receiving such agents.
authors.affiliation: Athens University School of Medicine, 2nd Department of Medicine, Athens, Greece. dvassilop@med.uoa.gr
authors.forename: Dimitrios
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Vassilopoulos
mesh_terms: D000998:Antiviral Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001327:Autoimmune Diseases / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000276:immunology; D001691:Biological Therapy; D019694:Hepatitis B, Chronic / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000276:immunology; D006801:Humans; D007166:Immunosuppressive Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D015995:Prevalence; D012216:Rheumatic Diseases / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000276:immunology; D012307:Risk Factors
chemical_list: D000998:Antiviral Agents; D007166:Immunosuppressive Agents