Daratumumab, new targeted cancer therapy for multiple myeloma, could reactivate the hepatitis B virus, Seoul St. Mary’s Hospital said Tuesday.
I was the first such finding in the world, the hospital added.
A research team studied 105 multiple myeloma patients who went through Daratumumab treatment from 2014 to 2020. The researchers conducted liver function and hepatitis B blood tests and analyzed results.
They observed the reactivation of hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection in 6.5 percent of those patients who had been exposed to HBV in the past but did not have it currently. Some of them also suffered severe damages to the liver.
Until then, Rituximab, used mainly to treat lymphoma, had been known to reactivate the hepatitis B virus. However, the latest research confirmed that another new targeted cancer therapy, which could affect acquired immune responses, also has the risk of reactivating HBV.
Professor Sung Pil-soo of the Department of Gastroenterology and Professor Lee Soon-kyu of the Department of Internal Medicine collaborated with Professor Min Chang-ki of the Department of Hematology and Professor Park Sung-soo of the Department of Internal Medicine for the study.
The research team emphasized that fast diagnosis and anti-virus treatment are important for the prognosis of patients with reactivated hepatitis B patients. Therefore, it is essential to find out whether the patients were infected by HBV using serological tests before treatment and have a closer look at their liver functions after the treatment.
“According to a report, up to 40 percent of Koreans were exposed to hepatitis B in the past although they don’t have the virus currently,” Professor Lee said. “If these patients are administered with targeted cancer therapy that can lower patient’s immunity, the reactivation of hepatitis B can happen. Hence, continuous monitoring is essential during treatment.”
Professor Sung also said, “When the reactivation of hepatitis B occurs to patients suffering from hematologic malignancy like multiple myeloma, it can lead to severe conditions like hepatic insufficiency.”
To prevent the reactivation of hepatitis B virus, preemptive anti-virus treatment should be considered, he added.
The research results were published in the online edition of Clinical Infectious Disease.