Reactivation of hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection in adult T-cell leukemia–lymphoma patients with resolved HBV infection following systemic chemotherapy

Reactivation of hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection may occur in adult T-cell leukemia–lymphoma (ATL) patients with resolved HBV infection who receive monotherapy with the anti-CC chemokine receptor 4 monoclonal antibody, mogamulizumab. However, there is little evidence regarding the incidence and characteristics of HBV reactivation in ATL patients receiving systemic chemotherapy, including the use of this antibody. We conducted a retrospective study for 24 ATL patients with resolved HBV infection underwent regular HBV DNA monitoring to assess HBV reactivation in Nagoya City University Hospital between January 2005 and June 2013. With median HBV DNA follow-up of 238 days (range 57–1420), HBV reactivation (defined as the detection of HBV DNA) was observed in three (12.5 %) of 24 patients with resolved HBV infection. No hepatitis due to HBV reactivation occurred in those patients who were diagnosed with HBV DNA levels below 2.1 log copies/mL and who received antiviral drugs. Mogamulizumab was administered prior to HBV reactivation in two of three HBV-reactivated patients. In the mogamulizumab era, further well-designed prospective studies are warranted to estimate the incidence of HBV reactivation and to establish regular HBV DNA monitoring-guided preemptive antiviral therapy for such patients.