Abstract
We report a patient with fatal hepatitis B virus (HBV) reactivation after treatment for chronic graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) following allogeneic peripheral blood stem cell transplantation to treat chronic myelogenous leukemia. The presence of antibodies to hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAb) prior to transplantation indicated previous HBV infection. Liver damage first developed 8 months after transplantation with the disappearance of HBsAb. Hepatitis B antigen was first noted during an examination of liver damage that occurred 22 months after transplantation. Retrospective examination of serum by real-time detection polymerase chain reaction (RTD-PCR) revealed HBV in both the first and second episodes of liver damage (89 copies/mL and 2 x 10p6 copies/mL, respectively). HBV may have been reactivated, leading to fatal liver damage in this HBsAb-positive patient. We propose that RTD-PCR-based analysis should be performed to diagnose liver dysfunction after hematopoietic stem cell transplantation.
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Sakamaki, H., Sato, Y., Mori, Si. et al. Hepatitis B Virus Reactivation in a Patient With Chronic GVHD After Allogeneic Peripheral Blood Stem Cell Transplantation. Int J Hematol 74, 342–346 (2001). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02982072
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02982072