Internal Medicine
Online ISSN : 1349-7235
Print ISSN : 0918-2918
ISSN-L : 0918-2918
CASE REPORTS
Elevation of the Hepatitis B Virus DNA during the Treatment of Polycythemia Vera with the JAK Kinase Inhibitor Ruxolitinib
Keita KiritoMinoru SakamotoNobuyuki Enomoto
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JOURNAL OPEN ACCESS

2016 Volume 55 Issue 10 Pages 1341-1344

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Abstract

Ruxolitinib is a useful treatment option for myelofibrosis since it effectively resolves splenomegaly and constitutional symptoms. After the widespread use of ruxolitinib outside of clinical trials, a series of case reports indicated a potential risk of ruxolitinib-associated opportunistic infections, including the reactivation of the hepatitis B virus (HBV). We herein report the case of a polycythemia vera patient who showed an elevation of HBV-DNA viral DNA with an elevation of aspartate aminotransferase (AST) and alanine aminotransferase (ALT) after the initiation of ruxolitinib. Anti-viral therapy with entecavir was immediately started and the HBV viral load thereafter decreased with an improvement of the liver function. Physicians should thus be aware of the potential risk of ruxolitinib-associated HBV reactivation.

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© 2016 by The Japanese Society of Internal Medicine
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