title: Management of patients with hepatitis B who require immunosuppressive therapy.
abstract: Patients with chronic HBV infection are at risk of reactivation of HBV should they require immunosuppressive therapies for a variety of clinical settings, including chemotherapy for patients with cancer, immunosuppression for solid organ and stem cell transplant recipients, and use of anti-CD20 antibodies, TNF inhibitors, or corticosteroids in patients with oncological, gastrointestinal, rheumatological or dermatological conditions. The key to preventing HBV reactivation is the identification of patients with HBV infection prior to immunosuppressive therapy, initiation of prophylactic antiviral therapy in patients at moderate or high risk of HBV reactivation, and close monitoring of other patients so that antiviral therapy can be initiated at the first sign of HBV reactivation. Unfortunately, many patients infected with HBV are unaware of their infection or risk factors, and physicians often do not have sufficient time to systematically assess patients for risk factors for HBV prior to starting immunosuppressive therapy. In this article, we review the incidence, risk factors and outcomes of HBV reactivation, and the efficacy of antiviral therapy in preventing its occurrence. We also propose an algorithm for managing patients with HBV infection who require immunosuppressive therapy.
authors.affiliation: Department of General Internal Medicine, Division of Internal Medicine, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, 1400 Pressler Street, Houston, TX 77030, USA.
authors.forename: Jessica P
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Hwang
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine and Gastroenterology, A. Alfred Taubman Health Care Center, University of Michigan, 1500 East Medical Center Drive, Room 3912, Ann Arbor, MI 48109-5362, USA.
authors.forename: Anna S-F
authors.initials: AS
authors.lastname: Lok
mesh_terms: D000465:Algorithms; D000998:Antiviral Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D005767:Gastrointestinal Diseases / Q000188:drug therapy; D006084:Graft Rejection / Q000517:prevention & control; D019694:Hepatitis B, Chronic / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000453:epidemiology*; D006801:Humans; D007166:Immunosuppressive Agents / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D015994:Incidence; D012216:Rheumatic Diseases / Q000188:drug therapy; D012307:Risk Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D000998:Antiviral Agents; D007166:Immunosuppressive Agents