Hepatitis B virus reactivation in transplant patients treated for hepatitis C recurrence: Prophylaxis makes the difference

Hepatitis C virus (HCV) is known to cause suppression of hepatitis B virus (HBV) replication in patients with HBV/HCV coinfection.1 Loss of HBV suppression following interferon (IFN)-based HCV treatment is a well-known phenomenon2 and HBV reactivation in patients treated for HCV with direct-acting antivirals (DAAs) has recently attracted clinical attention. Indeed, some of the identified cases had serious outcomes, resulting in liver transplantation or death.3,4 Subsequent series of HBV/HCV-coinfected patients treated with DAAs have shown that viral reactivation was relatively common in hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg)-positive patients, and a meta-analysis identified a similar incidence but an earlier viral reactivation and a higher incidence of hepatitis due to reactivation compared to IFN treatments.

Source: Journal of Hepatology - April 5, 2019 Category: Gastroenterology Authors: Lina Mouna, Emilie Rossignol, Mariagrazia Tateo, Audrey Coilly, Jean-Charles Duclos-Vall ée, Christophe Duvoux, François Durand, Albert Tran, Sylvie Radenne, Valerie Canva-Delcambre, Pauline Houssel-Debry, Jérôme Dumortier, Filomena Conti, Victor de L Tags: Letter to the Editor Source Type: research