New paradigms for treating hepatitis B in HIV/hepatitis B virus co-infected patients

HBcAb Positivity Is a Risk Factor for an Increased Detectability of HIV RNA after Switching to a Two-Drug Regimen Lamivudine-Based (2DR-3TC-Based) Treatment: Analysis of a Multicenter Italian Cohort

The aim of this study was to evaluate whether the presence of anti-hepatitis B (HBV) c antibodies (HBcAb positivity) could influence the control of Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) viremia in patients living with HIV (PLWH) who switch a to two-drug antiretroviral therapy (2DR) containing lamivudine (3TC) (2DR-3TC). A retrospective observational multicenter study was conducted on 166 PLWH switching to the 2DR-3TC-based regimen: 58 HBcAb-positive and 108 HBcAb-negative patients. The HBcAb-positive PLWH group demonstrated a significantly higher percentage of subjects with very low-level viremia at all time points after switching (6th month: <31% vs. 17.6%, p = 0.047; 12th month 34% vs. 27.5%, p = 0.001; 24th month 37% vs. 34.2, p = 0.003 of the HBcAb-positive and HBcAb-negative groups, respectively) and a higher percentage of subjects with detectable HIV RNA greater than 20 copies/mL 12 and 24 months after switching (12 months 32% vs. 11%, p = 0.001; 24 months 37% vs. 13.9%, p = 0.003 of the HBcAb-positive and HBcAb-negative groups, respectively). Logistic regression analysis showed that an increase in age of ten years (OR 2.48 (95% CI 1.58–3.89), p < 0.0001) and the presence of HBcAb positivity (OR 2.7 (5% CI 1.05–6.9), p = 0.038) increased the risk of detectability of HIV RNA by nearly three-fold after switching to 2DR-3TC.

Asian-Pacific clinical practice guidelines on the management of hepatitis B: a 2015 update

Worldwide, some 240 million people have chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV), with the highest rates of infection in Africa and Asia. Our understanding of the natural history of HBV infection and the potential for therapy of the resultant disease is continuously improving. New data have become available since the previous APASL guidelines for management of HBV infection were published in 2012. The objective of this manuscript is to update the recommendations for the optimal management of chronic HBV infection. The 2015 guidelines were developed by a panel of Asian experts chosen by the APASL. The clinical practice guidelines are based on evidence from existing publications or, if evidence was unavailable, on the experts' personal experience and opinion after deliberations. Manuscripts and abstracts of important meetings published through January 2015 have been evaluated. This guideline covers the full spectrum of care of patients infected with hepatitis B, including new terminology, natural history, screening, vaccination, counseling, diagnosis, assessment of the stage of liver disease, the indications, timing, choice and duration of single or combination of antiviral drugs, screening for HCC, management in special situations like childhood, pregnancy, coinfections, renal impairment and pre- and post-liver transplant, and policy guidelines. However, areas of uncertainty still exist, and clinicians, patients, and public health authorities must therefore continue to make choices on the basis of the evolving evidence. The final clinical practice guidelines and recommendations are presented here, along with the relevant background information.

Advances in treating drug-resistant hepatitis B virus in HIV-infected patients

INTRODUCTION

Treatment of HIV infection with nucleos(t)ide analogs active against hepatitis B virus (HBV) highly improves hepatic outcomes in HIV-HBV coinfected patients, especially when tenofovir (TDF) is part of the antiviral regimen. Drug resistance has been the major drawback and must remain as the most important caveat when planning to treat dually or HIV and HBV independently in coinfected patients.

AREAS COVERED

The use of lamivudine (LAM) as the only active anti-HBV agent should strongly be discouraged in HIV-HBV coinfected patients, although it might be considered for individuals with low serum HBV-DNA and in the absence of liver cirrhosis as an exception. In any other case drug resistance may cause any clinical benefit of this antiviral HBV therapy to disappear, and lead to cross-resistance with other antivirals and even occasionally select for HBV vaccine escape mutants. In cirrhotics, liver enzyme flares may be accompanied by life-threatening decompensation. Entecavir is generally not recommended as an anti-HBV agent in HIV-HBV coinfected patients given its low residual antiretroviral activity and potential for selection of resistance mutations in HIV. Adefovir is not active against HIV using HBV dosing and is no longer recommended as HBV therapy given its limited antiviral effect. Finally, telbivudine is not active against HIV, it is less potent than TDF against HBV and depicts low barrier to resistance and cross-resistance to LAM or emtricitabine.

EXPERT OPINION

The introduction of TDF has drastically reduced the clinical relevance of hepatitis B drug resistance in HIV-HBV coinfected individuals. The use of LAM as the only active anti-HBV agent should strongly be discouraged in this population.

Management and treatment of chronic hepatitis B in HIV-positive patients

Chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection is common in HIV-positive individuals, mainly among those with sexually risky behaviors. Although HBV vaccination is mandatory in all HIV-infected persons with negative HBV markers, lower rates of protection due to abnormal immune responses are achieved. HIV accelerates the course of liver disease caused by chronic HBV infection, leading rapidly to end-stage hepatic illness and increasing the risk of hepatocellular carcinoma. Treatment of HIV including nucleos(t)ide analogues active against HBV highly improves outcomes, especially when tenofovir is part of the antiviral regimen. The use of lamivudine as the only active anti-HBV agent in HIV-HBV co-infected patients should be limited to individuals with low serum HBV-DNA levels. Otherwise, selection of drug resistance may eliminate any clinical benefit, produce cross-resistance to other antivirals, and favor the emergence of HBV vaccine escape mutants.

Hepatitis B in HIV-infected patients

Chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection is common in HIV-positive individuals. Although HBV vaccination is mandatory for HIV-positive individuals with negative-HBV markers, lower rates of protection are achieved. HIV infection accelerates the course of liver disease caused by chronic HBV infection, leading to end-stage hepatic illness and increasing the risk of hepatocellular carcinoma. Anti-HBV active agents, especially tenofovir, improve outcomes. Lamivudine alone should be limited to patients with low serum HBV-DNA levels, since selection of drug resistance often compromises long-term benefits, leads to cross-resistance with other antivirals, and favors the potential emergence of HBV-vaccine escape mutants.

Lamivudine resistance mutations in European patients with hepatitis B and patients co-infected with HIV and hepatitis B

Evaluation of resistance pattern in patients with chronic hepatitis B. Retrospective study of hepatitis B virus (HBV) resistance mutations in patients found viraemic after first-line treatment. HBV viral load was determined by a real-time polymerase chain reaction and the substitutions in HBV-DNA were studied by polymerase sequencing test. First line treatment had failed in 12 out of 33 patients (36%) receiving anti-HBV drugs. The 12 patients with persistent viraemia were all lamivudine (LAM) experienced and 7 had a polymerase sequencing test available. LAM substitution mutations L180M + M204V/I were found in six out of seven cases, with an accompanying V173L mutation in three cases. These mutations were also related with changes in HBsAg. The use of potent drugs in the first line anti-HBV therapy may reduce the resistance mutations in the future.

Virologic Outcome of Using Tenofovir/Emtricitabine to Treat Hepatitis B in HIV-Coinfected Patients

Goal. To study the effect of combination antiviral therapy with tenofovir and emtricitabine or lamivudine with and without prior monotherapy with lamivudine. Study. We reviewed charts of 31 HIV-/HBV-coinfected patients. Twelve 3TC-naïve patients initially received tenofovir plus emtricitabine. Nineteen epivir experienced patients who had previously failed epivir were given tenofovir plus emtricitabine. Results. Baseline median HBV DNA was similar in the epivir-naïve (5.8×10⁷ copies/mL) and experienced group (7.3×10⁷ copies/mL, P = .65). The median time to complete suppression of HBV was 466 days in the naïve group and 877 days in the experienced (P = .001). After 12 months, 6/10 (60%) naïve patients and 3/14 (21%) experienced patients had HBV DNA below the detectionlimit (P = .067). After 24 months, 5/5 (100%) naïve patients and 4/13 (31%) experienced patients had an undetectable HBV DNA level (P = .015). Conclusions. The median time to suppression of HBV DNA was significantly shorter among treatment naïve patients. There was a significantly greater proportion of naïve patients with suppressed HBV DNA at 24 months. Our results support using initial dual therapy in those with HIV/HBV coinfection.