부산대학교 도서관

The effect of biologic treatment on quantitative Hepatitis B surface Antigen (qHBsAg) levels and HBsAg clearance in rheumatic patients with chronic HBV infection has not been well studied. We prospectively followed rheumatic patients with HBeAg‐negative chronic HBV infection (n = 28) treated with biologics and oral antivirals, categorized into patients with chronic hepatitis B (CHB, group A n = 13) and chronic HBV infection (group B n = 15) and matched them to appropriate non‐rheumatic controls. qHBsAg kinetics were serially measured and compared between groups. No HBV reactivation (HBVr) was recorded during the 108.25 patient‐year follow‐up. Among patients with CHB, the annual rapid qHBsAg decline (i.e. decline >0.5 log10 IU/mL/year) as well as HBsAg clearance did not differ between rheumatic patients [n = 4 (32.7%), n = 1 (7.7%)] and controls [n = 6 (28.4%), p =.726 and n = 2 (7.7%), p =.818, respectively]. In contrast, there was a slower annual qHBsAg decline in rheumatic patients with chronic HBV compared to non‐rheumatic controls (−0.04 vs −0.13 log10 IU/mL at year 1, p =.019) with no cases of rapid qHBsAg decline or HBsAg clearance in rheumatic patients (0%) compared to a cumulative incidence of 24% and a rate of 20%, respectively in controls. In biologic‐treated rheumatic patients with HBeAg‐negative HBV receiving antiviral prophylaxis, there was slower qHBsAg decline, lower cumulative rates of rapid qHBsAg decline and HBsAg clearance compared to non‐rheumatic controls. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]