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VIDEO: Surface antigen loss in HBV/HIV coinfection similar to HBV alone

BOSTON — In this exclusive video from The Liver Meeting 2019, Douglas T. Dieterich, MD, director of the Institute for Liver Medicine at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, discusses results of a study that showed that loss of surface antigen among individuals coinfected with HIV and chronic hepatitis B virus infection was similar to rates previously reported in patients with HBV monoinfection.

The researchers analyzed the OPERA cohort to identify individuals living with HIV and chronic hepatitis B virus infections – defined by at least two or more hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) positive tests after first visit. Individuals with hepatitis C virus infection at any time during follow-up were excluded from the study.

The purpose of the study was to identify and assess individuals coinfected with HIV and HBV who have lost surface antigen and their outcomes

Dieterich noted that the results were a bit surprising and demonstrated that over the course of approximately 10 years, between 2% and 6% of patients lost their surface antigen.

“That was a surprisingly high number for patients with HIV,” Dieterich told Healio Gastroenterology and Liver Disease. “It’s actually a high number even for patients without HIV. So, there may be something going on with the immune system when it’s restored by HIV medications that may actually help to clear hepatitis B surface antigen more frequently than in patients who are not infected with HIV. My guess would be that it is possibly related to the usually one or two HIV medicines that are also active against hepatitis B.” – by Ryan McDonald

Reference: Dieterich DT, et al. Poster 970. Presented at: The Liver Meeting; Nov. 7-12, 2019; Boston.

Disclosure: Dieterich reports serving as a consultant and on advisory boards for, as well as receiving speaker fees from, Gilead. The study was also supported by Epividian.