Dynamics of plasma hepatitis B virus levels after highly active antiretroviral therapy in patients with HIV infection
Journal
Journal of Hepatology
Journal Volume
39
Journal Issue
6
Pages
1028-1035
Date Issued
2003
Author(s)
Abstract
Background/Aims: The optimal strategy to prescribe highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) in patients infected with both hepatitis B virus (HBV) and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) remains unsettled. This study aimed to compare the HBV dynamics between HBeAg-positive and HBeAg-negative coinfected patients treated with lamivudine-containing HAART. Methods: We retrospectively analyzed the serial changes of plasma HBV DNA levels in 24 HBsAg-positive HIV-infected patients who entered the HAART program. A polymerase chain reaction-based assay, capable of quantifying as few as 400 HBV copies/ml, was used. The median follow-up time was 18 months. Results: HAART containing lamivudine 300 mg/day effectively suppressed plasma HBV-DNA to 10-3-10-5-fold of the baseline levels, but a multi-phasic decay of HBV DNA was observed. The later phases became flat, as a persistent residual HBV viremia, in eight of the studied 10 HBeAg-positive patients; in contrast, residual HBV viremia was not observed in the 10 HBeAg-negative patients studied (8/10 vs. 0/10, P = 0.0007, Fisher's exact test). HAART without lamivudine did not suppress plasma HBV DNA levels in the remaining four patients. Conclusions: HAART containing lamivudine 300 mg/day effectively suppress HBV replication in HBeAg-negative HIV/HBV-coinfected patients. Nevertheless, residual HBV replication persisted in most HBeAg-positive coinfected patients. ? 2003 European Association for the Study of the Liver. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
SDGs
Other Subjects
antiretrovirus agent; deoxycytidine; didanosine; hepatitis B(e) antigen; indinavir; lamivudine; saquinavir; stavudine; virus DNA; zidovudine; adult; article; controlled study; DNA degradation; drug efficacy; follow up; Hepatitis B virus; highly active antiretroviral therapy; human; Human immunodeficiency virus infection; major clinical study; male; nonhuman; persistent infection; polymerase chain reaction; priority journal; retrospective study; viremia; virus inhibition
Publisher
Elsevier
Type
journal article