Efficacy of telbivudine and entecavir against virus reactivation in HBeAg-patients undergoing chemotherapy

Hepatitis B Virus Reactivation in Cancer Patients Receiving Chemotherapy-A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Hepatitis B virus (HBV) reactivation is a critical concern for patients with a diagnosis of cancer receiving chemotherapy worldwide. Our aim was to assess the rate of HBV reactivation during chemotherapy globally. We systematically reviewed PubMed, Embase, Scopus, and Google Scholar databases for chemotherapy-related HBV reactivation studies from inception until July 2023. A random-effects model was used to estimate the pooled reactivation rate. Total 86 studies involving 21,297 patients were included, comprising 62 and 24 studies from Eastern and Western regions. Pooled results indicated a 9% reactivation rate (95%CI: 7%-13%, I2 = 95%). Reactivation rates were 10% (95%CI: 7%-14%, I2 = 92%) for hematological malignancies and 5% (95%CI: 3%-9%, I2 = 94%) for solid tumors. Presence of HBV DNA, HBeAg, and HBsAg were correlated with reactivation rates of 29% (95%CI: 10%-60%, I2 = 91%), 23% (95%CI: 14%-36%, I2 = 78%), and 15% (95%CI: 11%-20%, I2 = 90%), respectively. For patients with positive anti-HBe Ab, anti-HBc, and anti-HBs Ab serology, pooled reactivation rates were 7% (95%CI: 3%-14%, I2 = 81%), 4% (95%CI: 3%-7%, I2 = 85%), and 3% (95%CI: 2%-6%, I2 = 80%), respectively. With antiviral prophylaxis, reactivation rates were 1% (95%CI: 0%-17%, I2 = 59%), 1% (95%CI: 0%-5%, I2 = 0%), 4% (95%CI: 2%-9%, I2 = 85%), and 6% (95%CI: 3%-12%, I2 = 32%) for patients receiving tenofovir, entecavir, lamivudine, and telbivudine, respectively. Patients with a diagnosis of cancer undergoing chemotherapy face increased risk of HBV reactivation. This analysis raises public awareness and serves as a resource for future clinical trials.

Telbivudine Plus Adefovir Versus Lamivudine Plus Adefovir for Lamivudine-Resistant Chronic Hepatitis B: TeSLA Randomized Trial

Background: In countries with unavailable tenofovir, a combination of lamivudine (LMV) and adefovir (ADV) is recommended for the treatment of LMV-resistant chronic hepatitis B (CHB). Considering that telbivudine (L-dT) was demonstrated to be superior to LMV in previous studies, L-dT and ADV combination therapy is expected to show better antiviral efficacy than the combination of LMV and ADV in patients with LMV-resistant CHB. Methods: This was a prospective randomized multicenter study. The primary endpoint was Hepatitis B Virus (HBV) DNA reduction after 52 weeks of treatment. The secondary endpoints were HBV DNA undetectability, hepatitis B e antigen seroconversion, the incidence of virological and biochemical breakthroughs, and safety during the study period. Results: A total of 43 LMV-resistant CHB patients were enrolled. Twenty-one were treated with LMV + ADV and 22 with L-dT + ADV. After 52 weeks of antiviral treatment, the HBV DNA reduction showed no significant intergroup difference (-4.54 ± 1.23 log IU/mL in the LMV + ADV group, -4.24 ± 1.46 log IU/mL in the L-dT + ADV group, P = 0.475). There were no significant intergroup differences in HBV DNA undetectability rates, mean HBV DNA level, or hepatitis B e antigen seroconversion rate at 13, 26, 39, and 52 weeks of treatment. In terms of safety, the mean creatine phosphokinase level was significantly higher in the L-dT + ADV group. Conclusions: In the treatment of LMV-resistant CHB, the combination of L-dT and ADV did not show any clinical benefit compared to the combination of LMV and ADV.