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Abstract Details
Poor clinical and virological outcome of nucleos(t)ide analogue monotherapy in HBV/HDV co-infected patients
Medicine (Baltimore). 2021 Jul 16;100(28):e26571. doi: 10.1097/MD.0000000000026571.
Laura Scheller1, Gudrun Hilgard1, Olympia Anastasiou2, Ulf Dittmer2, Alisan Kahraman13, Heiner Wedemeyer14, Katja Deterding14
Author information
1Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, University Hospital Essen, Germany.
2Institute of Virology, University Hospital Essen, Germany.
3Department of Gastroenterology, Max Grundig Clinic, Germany.
4Department of Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Endocrinology, Hannover Medical School, Germany.
Abstract
Co-infection of Hepatitis B (HBV) and Delta viruses (HDV) represent the most severe form of viral hepatitis. While treatment with pegylated Interferon alpha (PEG-IFNα) is well established, therapy with nucleoside or nucleotide analogues (NA) has been a matter of debate. We aimed to investigate the role of NA treatment in a well-defined single centre cohort.In a retrospective approach, we observed 53 HDV RNA positive and/or anti-HDV-positive patients recruited at a German referral centre between 2000 and 2019. Patients were followed for at least 3 months (mean time of follow up: 4.6 years; range: 0.2-14.1 years). Patients who had liver transplantation or hepatocellular carcinoma at the time of presentation were excluded. 43% (n = 23) were treated with NA, 43% (n = 23) received IFNα-based therapies and 13% (n = 7) were untreated.Liver cirrhosis was already present in 53% (28/53) of patients at first presentation. During follow-up, liver-related endpoints developed in 44% of all patients (n = 23). NA-treatment was associated with a significantly worse clinical outcome (P = .01; odds ratio [OR] = 4.92; CI = 1.51-16.01) compared to both, untreated (P = .38; OR = 0.46; CI = 0.80-2.61) and IFNα-based-treated patients (P = .04; OR = 0.29; CI = 0.89-0.94) in univariate logistic regression analysis. HBsAg levels declined by more than 50% during NA-based therapy in only 7 cases (7/23; mean time: 3.6 years; range: 0.8-8.5 years) and during IFNα-based therapy in 14 cases (14/23; mean time: 2.8 years, range 0.7-8.5 years). HDV RNA became undetectable during follow up in 30% of patients receiving NA alone (7/23; mean time: 5.0 years; range: 0.6-13.5 years), in 35% of patients receiving IFNα-based therapy (8/23; mean time: 2.9 years, range: 0.3-7.6 years).The effect of NA in patients with HBV/HDV co-infection is limited. Treatment with NA was associated with a higher likelihood of clinical disease progression. Interferon alpha therapy was beneficial in reducing liver complications and improves long-term outcome.