Reactivation of hepatitis B virus with rituximab

Authors: Tsutsumi, Yutaka; Kanamori, Hiroe; Mori, Akio; Tanaka, Junji; Asaka, Masahiro; Imamura, Masahiro; Masauzi, Nobuo

Source: Expert Opinion on Drug Safety, Volume 4, Number 3, 1 May 2005 , pp. 599-608(10)

Publisher: Informa Healthcare

Buy & download fulltext article:

Price: $99.00 plus tax (Refund Policy)

Abstract:

Rituximab has become a useful drug for the treatment of non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma (NHL) and such autoimmune diseases as idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura and rheumatoid arthritis. When combined with cytotoxic agents, rituximab showed synergistic effects for the treatment of NHL. In such treatment, hepatitis B virus (HBV) reactivation is a crucial complication when patients are treated with immunosuppressive or chemotherapeutic agents. Despite its treatment efficacy, several studies have pointed out unusual viral infections after its administration that resulted in fatal hepatitis due to HBV reactivation. In the cases at the authors’ institute, the authors analysed the kinetics of HBV antibodies, HBV-reactivation timing, and the prophylactic efficacy of lamivudine. The authors reviewed their cases and the previous literature to clarify the characteristics of HBV-reactivated patients who were administered rituximab.

Keywords: chemotherapy; hepatitis B virus (HBV); lamivudine; non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma (NHL); reactivation; rituximab

Document Type: Review article

DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1517/14740338.4.3.599

Publication date: 2005-05-01

More about this publication?