Drugs may induce hepatitis B virus (HBV) reactivation (HBV-R). Here we have reviewed the definition and harm of HBV-R, the risk drugs and their underlying mechanism, the influence factors, as well as the early intervention measures. It is shown that multiple drugs, including chemotherapy drugs, immunotherapy drugs, directly acting antivirals, cell therapy, etc., can induce HBV-R by affecting host immunity or directly activating HBV transcription factors. HBV-R could cause severe liver damage, even interruption of treatment of original diseases, affecting the prognosis of patients. Through precisely identifying risk drugs, monitoring the influence factors, and prescribing preventive anti-HBV regimen if necessary, the incidence of HBV-R can be significantly reduced. It is also suggested that clinical physicians should not only pay attention to the early identification and intervention of HBV-R, but also further study the mechanism of HBV-R in depth, especially the underlying mechanism between host, HBV and risk factors. This will help to promote the discovery of more valuable markers for risk prediction and targets for early intervention, and to further reduce the risk of HBV-R and improve the prognosis of patients.
Objective To analyze the clinical characteristics of individuals with high hepatitis B virus (HBV) pregenomic RNA (pgRNA), and further explore the value of pgRNA in the management of patients with chronic hepatitis B. Methods From December 1st, 2020 to April 1st, 2022, chronic hepatitis B patients who had been treated with nucleotide analogues for a long time and followed up in the Hepatitis Clinic of the Center of Infectious Diseases, West China Hospital, Sichuan University were included, and the clinical characteristics of chronic hepatitis B patients with high pgRNA were analyzed and summarized. Results A total of 107 patients were included. Male patients accounted for 66.4%, with an average age of 44.02 years. There were no statistically significant differences in gender, age, aspartate transaminase, alanine transaminase, γ-glutamyl transferase, HBV surface antigen, proportion of patients with HBV e antigen ≥0.1 U/mL, HBV DNA, and alpha fetoprotein between the high and low pgRNA groups (P>0.05). The proportion of patients with HBV surface antigen<100 U/mL in the high pgRNA group was lower than that in the low pgRNA group (4.4% vs. 22.6%, P<0.05). Conclusion The proportion of chronic hepatitis B patients with high pgRNA whose HBV surface antigen≥100 U/mL is higher.
Objective To evaluate the efficacy and safety of antiviral drugs for hepatitis B with YMDD motif variant. Methods We electronically searched MEDLINE (1989-April, 2004), EMBASE (1989-April, 2004), CBMdisc (expand) (1989-April, 2004), and handsearched unpublished Chinese conference proceedings. Randomized and quasi-randomized trials in patients with chronic hepatitis B with YMDD motif variant correlative to lamivudine were collected. Two reviewers extracted the data and assessed the quality of literature independently. The data were then analyzed by RevMan 4.2 software. Results Five studies involving 6 trials and 284 patients were included. According to the results of meta-analysis, antiviral therapy with adefovir plus lamivudine showed significantly better effects on the clearance of serum HBV-DNA and HBeAg and normalization of ALT than that of lamivudine alone (RR 16.61, 95%CI 2.29 to 120.71; RR 6.66, 95%CI 1.23 to 35.88 and RR 6.26, 95%CI 2.29 to 17.12 respectively); also, oxymatrine plus thymothin showed obviously better effects on the clearance of serum HBV-DNA and HBeAg (RR 2.96, 95%CI 1.26 to 6.93 and RR 2.51, 95%CI 1.05 to 5.98 respectively).But adefovir alone showed no better effects on clearance of serum HBV-DNA and HBeAg than that of lamivudine alone (RR 11.00, 95%CI 0.65 to 186.02 and RR 7.00, 95%CI 0.39 to 126.92 respectively); interferon plus lamivudine showed no better effects on the clearance of serum HBV-DNA, HBeAg and the normalization of ALT (RR 3.50, 95%CI 0.90 to 13.58; RR 4.90, 95%CI 0.70 to 35.10 and RR 2.80, 95%CI 0.91 to 8.12 respectively). Chinese herbs plus lamivudine showed no better effects on the clearance of serum HBV-DNA (RR 1.16, 95%CI 0.89 to 1.51). There were no significant side effects in the groups, except flu like symptom in the interferon group, slight kidney impairment in the adefovir group, and aggravation of rare cases in lamivudine group. Conclusions Antiviral therapy with adefovir plus lamivudine, or oxymatrine plus thymothin, shows better effects than with lamivudine alone in terms of antiviral therapy and clinical outcome improvement. However, the evidence is too weak to draw a definite conclusion in this systematic review. Larger sample size and rigorously designed randomized, double blind, placebo control trials are required for future study.
The infection of Hepatitis B virus (HBV) can result in severe consequences, including chronic hepatitis, liver fibrosis, cirrhosis, and even liver cancer. Effective antiviral treatment has the potential to slow down the progression of the disease. HBV serum biomarkers play a crucial role in the dynamic management of chronic hepatitis B (CHB) patients. However, the conventional hepatitis B virus markers, such as hepatitis B serologic testing and HBV DNA, are insufficient to meet the clinical requirements. This review provided a comprehensive overview of the current research on the quantification of HBsAg and anti-HBc, HBV RNA and HBV core-associated antigen, which summarized the crucial role these markers play in the administration of antiviral medications, predicting the efficacy of treatment and anticipating the likelihood of virologic rebound following drug cessation, as well as assessing disease progression in CHB patients.
ObjectiveTo explore the influence of paternal serum HBV-DNA load levels and pregnant women's HBsAb on vertical transmission of hepatitis B virus (HBV) from HBsAg positive fathers to infants in order to provide effective methods for paternal-fetal ventrical transmission of HBV prevention. MethodsUsing HBsAg and HBV-DNA as indicators to screen pregnant women and their husbands after gained consent, 121 families with HBVM negative or only HBsAb positive and HBV-DNA negative pregnant women, HBsAg positive husbands and their newborns were selected. In this case-control study, according to neonatal cord blood HBV-DNA detection, 23 newborns with cord blood HBV-DNA positive were selected as cases, 98 newborns as controls. ResultsThe positive rate of neonatal cord blood HBV-DNA was 19.0% (23/121); and there was dose-response relationship between paternal serum HBV-DNA load levels and neonatal cord blood HBV-DNA positive (trend χ2=60.108, P=0.000). The analysis of ROC curve showed that paternal serum HBV-DNA load level (106 copies/mL) is a better demarcation point to forecast the occurrence of vertical transmission of HBV from HBsAg positive fathers to infants, because there was a better sensitivity and specificity during forecast; and HBsAb negative pregnant women's were statistically significant (χ2=12.399, P=0.000). There was no significant difference at the positive rate of neonatal cord blood HBV-DNA between the case group and control group when paternal serum HBV-DNA load levels exceed 107 copies/mL (P > 0.05). ConclusionPaternal serum HBV-DNA load levels and HBsAb negative pregnant women are the risk factors of vertical transmission of HBV from HBsAg positive father to infants. Paternal serum HBV-DNA load level (106 copies/mL) is an appropriate index of the occurrence of vertical transmission.