Risk of hepatitis B virus (HBV) reactivation was assessed in B-cell
non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL) patients with resolved HBV
infection (
hepatitis B surface antigen negative,
hepatitis B core antibody positive) who received
obinutuzumab- or
rituximab-containing immunochemotherapy in the phase 3 GOYA and
GALLIUM studies. HBV
DNA monitoring was undertaken monthly to 1 year after the last dose of study drug. In case of HBV reactivation (confirmed, HBV
DNA ≥29 IU/mL), immunochemotherapy was withheld and nucleos(t)ide analog treatment (preemptive
NAT) started. Immunochemotherapy was restarted if HBV
DNA became undetectable or reactivation was not confirmed, and discontinued if HBV
DNA exceeded 100 IU/mL on
NAT. Prophylactic
NAT was allowed by investigator discretion. Among 326 patients with resolved HBV
infection, 27 (8.2%) had HBV reactivation, occurring a median of 125 days (interquartile range, 85-331 days) after the first dose. In 232 patients without prophylactic
NAT, 25 (10.8%) had HBV reactivation; all received preemptive
NAT. Ninety-four patients received prophylactic
NAT; 2 (2.1%) had HBV reactivation. No patients developed HBV-related
hepatitis. On multivariate Cox analysis, detectable HBV
DNA at baseline was strongly associated with an increased risk of reactivation (adjusted hazard ratio [HR], 18.22; 95% confidence interval [CI], 6.04-54.93; P < .0001). Prophylactic
NAT was strongly associated with a reduced risk (adjusted HR, 0.09; 95% CI, 0.02-0.41; P = .0018). HBV
DNA monitoring-guided preemptive
NAT was effective in preventing HBV-related
hepatitis during anti-CD20-containing immunochemotherapy in B-cell NHL patients with resolved HBV
infection.
Antiviral prophylaxis was also effective and may be appropriate for high-risk patients. These trials were registered at www.clinicaltrials.gov as NCT01287741 (GOYA) and NCT01332968 (
GALLIUM).