Reactivation of Hepatitis C Virus and Its Clinical Outcomes in Patients Treated with Systemic Chemotherapy or Immunosuppressive Therapy
Hae Lim Lee,
Si Hyun Bae,
Bohyun Jang,
Seawon Hwang,
Hyun Yang,
Hee Chul Nam,
Pil Soo Sung,
Sung Won Lee,
Jeong Won Jang,
Jong Young Choi,
Nam Ik Han,
Byung Joo Song,
Jong Wook Lee,
Seung Kew Yoon
Affiliations
Hae Lim Lee
Division of Hepatology, Department of Internal Medicine, Bucheon St. Mary’s Hospital, The Catholic University of Korea College of Medicine, Bucheon, Korea
Si Hyun Bae
Division of Hepatology, Seoul St. Mary’s Hospital, The Catholic University of Korea College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea
Bohyun Jang
Department of Internal Medicine, Seoul St. Mary’s Hospital, The Catholic University of Korea College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea
Seawon Hwang
Division of Hepatology, Seoul St. Mary’s Hospital, The Catholic University of Korea College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea
Hyun Yang
Department of Internal Medicine, Seoul St. Mary’s Hospital, The Catholic University of Korea College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea
Hee Chul Nam
Department of Internal Medicine, Seoul St. Mary’s Hospital, The Catholic University of Korea College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea
Pil Soo Sung
Division of Hepatology, Seoul St. Mary’s Hospital, The Catholic University of Korea College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea
Sung Won Lee
Division of Hepatology, Department of Internal Medicine, Bucheon St. Mary’s Hospital, The Catholic University of Korea College of Medicine, Bucheon, Korea
Jeong Won Jang
Division of Hepatology, Seoul St. Mary’s Hospital, The Catholic University of Korea College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea
Jong Young Choi
Division of Hepatology, Seoul St. Mary’s Hospital, The Catholic University of Korea College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea
Nam Ik Han
Division of Hepatology, Department of Internal Medicine, Bucheon St. Mary’s Hospital, The Catholic University of Korea College of Medicine, Bucheon, Korea
Byung Joo Song
Department of Surgery, Seoul St. Mary’s Hospital, The Catholic University of Korea College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea
Jong Wook Lee
Division of Hematology, Department of Internal Medicine, Seoul St. Mary’s Hospital, The Catholic University of Korea College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea
Seung Kew Yoon
Division of Hepatology, Seoul St. Mary’s Hospital, The Catholic University of Korea College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea
Background/AimsAccording to the results of several studies, the outcome of hepatitis C virus (HCV) reactivation is not as severe as the outcome of hepatitis B virus reactivation. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of pharmacological immunosuppression on HCV reactivation.Methods : The medical records of patients who underwent systemic chemotherapy, corticosteroid therapy, or other immunosuppressive therapies between January 2008 and March 2015 were reviewed. Subsequently, 202 patients who were seropositive for the anti-HCV antibody were enrolled. Exclusion criteria were: unavailability of data on HCV RNA levels, a history of treatment for chronic hepatitis C, and the presence of liver diseases other than a chronic HCV infection.Results : Among the 120 patients enrolled in this study, hepatitis was present in 46 patients (38%). None of the patients were diagnosed with severe hepatitis. Enhanced replication of HCV was noted in nine (27%) of the 33 patients who had data available on both basal and follow-up HCV RNA loads. Reappearance of the HCV RNA from an undetectable state did not occur after treatment. The cumulative rate of enhanced HCV replication was 23% at 1 year and 30% at 2 years.Conclusion : sAlthough enhanced HCV replication is relatively common in HCV-infected patients treated with chemotherapy or immunosuppressive therapy, it does not lead to serious sequelae.
