Skip Navigation



JAC Advance Access published online on April 22, 2005
Journal of Antimicrobial Chemotherapy, doi:10.1093/jac/dki114
This Article
Right arrow FREE Full Text (PDF) Freely available
Right arrow All Versions of this Article:
55/6/828    most recent
dki114v1
Right arrow Alert me when this article is cited
Right arrow Alert me if a correction is posted
Services
Right arrow Email this article to a friend
Right arrow Similar articles in this journal
Right arrow Similar articles in PubMed
Right arrow Alert me to new issues of the journal
Right arrow Add to My Personal Archive
Right arrow Download to citation manager
Right arrowRequest Permissions
Right arrow Disclaimer
Google Scholar
Right arrow Articles by Idilman, R.
Right arrow Search for Related Content
PubMed
Right arrow PubMed Citation
Right arrow Articles by Idilman, R.
Social Bookmarking
Add to CiteULike   Add to Connotea   Add to Del.icio.us  
What's this?

© The Author 2005. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the British Society for Antimicrobial Chemotherapy. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oupjournals.org

Leading article

Lamivudine prophylaxis in HBV carriers with haemato-oncological malignancies who receive chemotherapy

Ramazan Idilman 1*

1 Department of Gastroenterology, Ankara University School of Medicine, Ankara, Turkey

* To whom correspondence should be addressed.
Ramazan Idilman, E-mail: idilman{at}dialup.ankara.edu.tr


  Abstract

Reactivation of hepatitis B virus (HBV) is a well-recognized complication of chemo/immunosuppressive therapy in individuals who are HBV surface antigen-positive inactive carriers and in individuals with chronic HBV infection. Although it is well established that chemo/immunosuppressive therapy enhances HBV replication with a resultant increase in the viral load and disease activation, the role of prophylactic lamivudine therapy to prevent chemo/immunosuppressive therapy-induced HBV activation in HBV-positive individuals who are to receive chemo/immunosuppressive therapy remains controversial. The aims of the present article are: (i) to determine the effect of lamivudine prophylaxis in HBV carriers with haemato-oncological malignancies who require chemotherapy; (ii) to define the duration and safety of lamivudine in such individuals; and (iii) to identify the effect of lamivudine prophylaxis on the outcome of chemotherapy administered for the primary disease. The data currently available suggest that lamivudine prophylaxis prevents chemotherapy-induced HBV reactivation in HBV carriers with haemato-oncological malignancies who receive chemotherapy. Lamivudine is safe and tolerable in such individuals. The duration of lamivudine prophylaxis is not yet known; however, it would appear prudent to begin lamivudine at the time of the initiation of the chemotherapy and to continue it throughout the period of chemotherapy administration and for at least 1 and possibly 2 years following the discontinuation of the chemotherapy. Finally, the prophylactic use of lamivudine in inactive HBV carriers with haemato-oncological malignancy prevents interruptions in their treatment for primary disease as a result of HBV reactivation.

Keywords: hepatitis B virus; 3TC; antiviral.
Add to CiteULike CiteULike   Add to Connotea Connotea   Add to Del.icio.us Del.icio.us    What's this?


This article has been cited by other articles:


Home page
 Mayo Clin Proc.Home page
S. Pungpapong, W. R. Kim, and J. J. Poterucha
Natural History of Hepatitis B Virus Infection: An Update for Clinicians
Mayo Clin. Proc., August 1, 2007; 82(8): 967 - 975.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

Home page
 GutHome page
R Idilman
Duration of lamivudine prophylaxis in inactive hepatitis B virus carriers with haemato/oncological malignancies who receive chemotherapy.
Gut, August 1, 2006; 55(8): 1208 - 1209.
[Full Text] [PDF]


Disclaimer: Please note that abstracts for content published before 1996 were created through digital scanning and may therefore not exactly replicate the text of the original print issues. All efforts have been made to ensure accuracy, but the Publisher will not be held responsible for any remaining inaccuracies. If you require any further clarification, please contact our Customer Services Department.