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Tenofovir for treatment of hepatitis B virus reactivation in patients with chronic GVHD

Bone Marrow Transplantation volume 46, pages 1274–1275 (2011)Cite this article

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Reactivation of resolved hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection is a frequent complication in allogeneic hematopoietic SCT (HSCT) recipients. In a retrospective assessment among patients with resolved HBV infection (hepatitis B core Ab-positive, hepatitis B surface Ag-negative), the cumulative risk of HBV reactivation rose from 9 to 13% per year of survival after HSCT, resulting in a cumulative probability of 42.9% at 4 years after HSCT.1 The risk for liver cirrhosis increases significantly with the level of the circulating virus.2 Patients with nucleos(t)ide analogue therapy have a significantly lower incidence of hepatocellular cancer compared with untreated patients (2.8 vs 6.4%, P 0.003).3 Therefore, patients may benefit from antiviral therapy.

HBV reactivation may usually be treated with the nucleoside analog lamivudine, since it is recommended as first choice for antiviral therapy in HSCT recipients4 and is proved to be well tolerated, with no major toxicity in a large number of patients and on long-term follow-up.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Hematology, Oncology and Palliative Care, Medical Faculty, University of Rostock, Rostock, Germany

    I Hilgendorf, K Borchert, C Junghanss, M Freund & M Schmitt

  2. Department of Tropical Medicine and Infectious Diseases, Medical Faculty, University of Rostock, Rostock, Germany

    M Loebermann

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  1. I Hilgendorf
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  2. M Loebermann
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  3. K Borchert
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Correspondence to I Hilgendorf.

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Hilgendorf, I., Loebermann, M., Borchert, K. et al. Tenofovir for treatment of hepatitis B virus reactivation in patients with chronic GVHD. Bone Marrow Transplant 46, 1274–1275 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1038/bmt.2010.290

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