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Efficacy of prophylactic lamivudine to prevent hepatitis B virus reactivation in B-cell lymphoma treated with rituximab-containing chemotherapy

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Abstract

Purpose

Reactivation of hepatitis B virus (HBV) is a common complication in patients with HBV infection who receive cytotoxic chemotherapy. In rituximab-containing chemotherapy for B-cell lymphoma, severe hepatitis due to HBV reactivation occurred. The aim of this study is to estimate the effect of prophylactic lamivudine on the risk of HBV reactivation in patients with HBV infection who receive rituximab-containing chemotherapy.

Methods

In this study, HBV markers and liver function tests were monitored in 268 consecutive patients with B-cell lymphoma, who received rituximab-containing chemotherapy between January 2008 and November 2011. Sixty-nine patients (25.7 %) with either chronic HBV infection or past HBV infection received prophylaxis with lamivudine 100 mg daily by oral intake.

Results

In the HBsAg-positive group, six (6/38) patients developed hepatitis, only one of which was attributed to HBV reactivation. In the HBsAg-negative and HBcAb-positive group, two (2/31) patients developed hepatitis, none of which was attributed to HBV reactivation.

Conclusions

These results support that prophylactic lamivudine can prevent HBV reactivation for B-cell lymphoma with HBV infection who was receiving rituximab-containing chemotherapy.

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Acknowledgments

This study was supported by National Natural Science Foundation of China (30971296, 81170485, and 81170488), Natural Science Foundation of Jiangsu Province (BK2010584), Key Projects of Health Department of Jiangsu Province (K201108), Jiangsu Province’s Medical Elite Program (RC2011169), University Doctoral Foundation of the Ministry of Education of China (20093234110010), Project Funded by the Priority Academic Program Development of Jiangsu Higher Education Institute (JX10231801), and National Public Health Grand Research Foundation (201202017).

Conflict of interest

The authors report no conflicts of interest.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Hematology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Jiangsu Province Hospital, Nanjing, 210029, China

    Yin-Hua Wang, Lei Fan, Li Wang, Run Zhang, Ji Xu, Cheng Fang, Jian-Yong Li & Wei Xu

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  1. Yin-Hua Wang
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  2. Lei Fan
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  3. Li Wang
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Correspondence to Wei Xu.

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Wang, YH., Fan, L., Wang, L. et al. Efficacy of prophylactic lamivudine to prevent hepatitis B virus reactivation in B-cell lymphoma treated with rituximab-containing chemotherapy. Support Care Cancer 21, 1265–1271 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00520-012-1656-8

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00520-012-1656-8

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