A fatal case of hepatitis B virus (HBV) reactivation during long-term, very-low-dose steroid treatment in an inactive HBV carrier

A fatal case of hepatitis B virus (HBV) reactivation during long-term, very-low-dose steroid treatment in an inactive HBV carrier

Hepatitis B virus (HBV) may be reactivated after chemotherapy or immunosuppressive therapy, and therefore administration of antiviral agents before such treatment is recommended. Most reported cases of reactivation are associated with high doses of immunosuppressive agents or combination therapy. We...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Joong Ho Bae, Joo Hyun Sohn, Hye Soon Lee, Hye Sun Park, Yil Sik Hyun, Tae Yeob Kim, Chang Soo Eun, Yong Cheol Jeon, Dong Soo Han
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Korean Association for the Study of the Liver 2012-06-01
Series:Clinical and Molecular Hepatology
Subjects:
Hepatitis B virus
Liver failure
Steroids
Virus activation
Online Access:http://e-cmh.org/upload/pdf/cmh-18-225.pdf
Description
Summary:Hepatitis B virus (HBV) may be reactivated after chemotherapy or immunosuppressive therapy, and therefore administration of antiviral agents before such treatment is recommended. Most reported cases of reactivation are associated with high doses of immunosuppressive agents or combination therapy. We present a case of a previously inactive HBV carrier with an acute severe flare-up during a long-term, very-low-dose (2.5 mg/day) steroid treatment for rheumatoid arthritis. We suggest that even a minimal dose of single-regimen oral steroid can cause reactivation of indolent, inactive HBV.
ISSN:2287-2728
2287-285X

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