Authors: SungNan Pei MingChun Ma MingChung Wang ChingYuan Kuo KunMin Rau ChengYu Su ChienHung Chen
Publish Date: 2012/01/25
Volume: 91, Issue: 7, Pages: 1007-1012
Abstract
Hepatitis B virus HBV reactivation is a wellknown complication after rituximab therapy in patients with B cell lymphoma Traditionally hepatitis B surface antibody antiHBs is a protective antibody but the effect of rituximab on these antibodies has not been well studied In 29 B cell lymphoma patients who were positive for antiHBs before rituximab therapy antiHBs serologies before and after rituximab therapy were compared AntiHBs titers after rituximab treatment were significantly lower P 0001 than those before treatment None of the ten cases with pretreatment antiHBs titers above 100 mIU/mL became negative for antiHBs after rituximab therapy In contrast 8 of the 19 patients with pretreatment antiHBs titers below 100 mIU/mL lost their antiHBs P = 0027 Of these one patient developed HBsAg seroreversion and HBV reactivation after rituximab therapy Regarding patients with loss of antiHBs or not there was no significant difference in pre and posttreatment immunoglobulin G levels between both groups The rate of antiHBs loss increased with advanced lymphoma stage and international prognostic index P = 0002 and 0001 respectively Multiple logistic regression analysis showed that pretreatment antiHBs titer is the only independent factor influencing the loss of antiHBs per one log mIU/mL odds ratio 0003 95 confidence interval 0000–0302 P = 0014 In conclusion we found that antiHBs titers decreased significantly P 0001 after rituximab treatment B cell lymphoma patients with low pretreatment antiHBs titers 100 mIU/mL were more likely to lose antiHBs antibodies and were at risk of HBV reactivation after rituximab immunochemotherapy
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