https://doi.org/10.4081/reumatismo.2013.727

A false occult hepatitis B virus infection developed in a patient with psoriatic arthritis under infliximab and methotrexate therapy

Vol. 65 No. 6 (2013)
Submitted: 4 December 2013
Accepted: 28 January 2014
Published: 17 March 2014
false occult hepatitis B infection, anti-TNF-α, rheumatic diseases, HBV-DNA by real-time PCR.
Abstract Views: 1997
PDF: 932
Publisher's note
All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article or claim that may be made by its manufacturer is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.

Authors

A. Notarnicola
notarnicola.antonella@gmail.com
Department of Medicine, Medical School, University of Bari, Italy.
F. Iannone
Department of Medicine, Medical School, University of Bari, Italy.
G. Lopalco
Department of Medicine, Medical School, University of Bari, Italy.
M. Covelli
Rheumatology Unit, Medical School, University of Bari, Italy.
G. Lapadula
Department of Medicine, Medical School, University of Bari, Italy.
Despite lacking of international guidelines about the management of patients with occult hepatitis B virus infection (OBI) starting TNF-α blockers, there is some evidence from real life settings that these drugs are safe in OBI patients with rheumatic diseases. On the contrary, the management of the so-called false OBI patients appears still undefined. We describe a case of acute hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection occurred in an anti-HBs and anti- HBc positive patient affected by psoriatic arthritis, who had been treated for five years with infliximab. Baseline HBV-DNA analysis had not been performed. Although HBs Ag was still negative and the transaminases in the normal range, HBV-DNA serum analysis surprisingly showed high replication rate. Entecavir was added, and three months later HBV-DNA was no longer detectable. Even if HBs Ag is persistently negative, the assessment of HBV-DNA should be recommended at least at baseline in order to rule out hidden active necro-inflammatory liver disease.

Dimensions

Altmetric

PlumX Metrics

Downloads

Download data is not yet available.

Citations

Crossref
Scopus
Google Scholar
Europe PMC

How to Cite

Notarnicola, A., Iannone, F., Lopalco, G., Covelli, M., & Lapadula, G. (2014). A false occult hepatitis B virus infection developed in a patient with psoriatic arthritis under infliximab and methotrexate therapy. Reumatismo, 65(6), 298–301. https://doi.org/10.4081/reumatismo.2013.727

Authors who publish with this journal agree to the following terms:

  1. Authors retain copyright and grant the journal right of first publication with the work simultaneously licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution License that allows others to share the work with an acknowledgement of the work's authorship and initial publication in this journal.
  2. Authors are able to enter into separate, additional contractual arrangements for the non-exclusive distribution of the journal's published version of the work (e.g., post it to an institutional repository or publish it in a book), with an acknowledgement of its initial publication in this journal.
  3. Authors are permitted and encouraged to post their work online (e.g., in institutional repositories or on their website) prior to and during the submission process, as it can lead to productive exchanges, as well as earlier and greater citation of published work.