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Modeling Hepatitis B Virus Infection in Non-Hepatic 293T-NE-3NRs Cells
Published on: June 5, 2020
Gemcitabine and reactivation of hepatitis B
Kerry Cheong1, Jordan Li, Christos Stelios Karapetis
1Department of Medical Oncology, Flinders Medical Centre, Flinders Drive, Bedford Park SA 5042, Australia.
Abstract:
Patients with chronic hepatitis B are at risk of reactivation of viral hepatitis during chemotherapy. We report a case of hepatitis B reactivation occurring in association with single-agent gemcitabine chemotherapy in the absence of significant myelosuppression. Gemcitabine is a nucleoside analog that can affect cell-mediated immunity, and this may contribute to an increased risk of reactivation of hepatitis B. We advise caution when administering chemotherapy to patients who are hepatitis B surface antigen positive, even when using relatively nontoxic palliative single-agent cytotoxic drugs. Monitoring of liver function tests will identify hepatitis, and measurement of hepatitis B DNA levels may help distinguish chemotherapy-induced hepatitis from hepatitis B virus reactivation.
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