A Prospective Study Evaluating Changes in Histology, Clinical and Virologic Outcomes in HBV-HIV Co-infected Adults in North America.

Abstract

BACKGROUND AND AIMS:

Histological and clinical outcomes in HBV-HIV coinfection in the era of combination antiretroviral therapy (cART) are poorly defined.

APPROACH AND RESULTS:

Adult patients co-infected with HBV-HIV from eight North American sites were enrolled in this National Institutes of Health (NIH)-funded prospective observational study (n = 139). Demographic, clinical, serological, and virological data were collected at entry and every 24 weeks for ≤ 192 weeks. Paired liver biopsies were obtained at study entry and at ≥ 3 years of follow-up. Biopsies were assessed by a central pathology committee using the modified Ishak scoring system. Clinical outcome rate and changes in histology are reported. Among participants with follow-up data (n = 114), median age was 49 years, 91% were male, 51% were non-Hispanic Black, and 13% had at-risk alcohol use, with a median infection of 20 years. At entry, 95% were on anti-HBV cART. Median CD4 count was 562 cells/mm3 and 93% had HIV < 400 copies/mL. HBeAg was positive in 61%, and HBV DNA was below the limit of quantification (< 20 IU/mL) in 61% and < 1,000 IU/mL in 80%. Clinical events were uncommon across follow-up: one hepatic decompensation, two HCC, no liver transplants, and one HBV-related deaths, with a composite endpoint rate of 0.61/100 person-years. Incident cirrhosis (n = 1), alanine aminotransferase flare (n = 2), and HBeAg loss (n = 13) rates were 0.40, 0.65, and 6.86 per 100 person-years, respectively. No participants had HBsAg loss. Paired biopsy (n = 62; median 3.6 years apart) revealed minimal improvement in Histologic Activity Index (median [interquartile range]: 3 [2-4] to 3 [1-3]; P = 0.02) and no significant change in fibrosis score (1 [1-2] to 1 [0-3]; P = 0.58).

CONCLUSIONS:

In a North American cohort of adults with HBV-HIV on cART with virological suppression, clinical outcomes and worsening histological disease were uncommon.

• Authors: Richard K Sterling, Wendy C King, Mandana Khalili, Raymond T Chung, Mark Sulkowski, Mamta K Jain, Mauricio Lisker-Melman, Marc G Ghany, David K Wong, Amanda S Hinerman, Atul K Bhan, Abdus S Wahed, David E Kleiner, HBV-HIV Cohort Study of the Hepatitis B Research Network
• Journal: Hepatology (Baltimore, Md.) (Hepatology) Vol. 74 Issue 3 Pg. 1174-1189 (09 2021) ISSN: 1527-3350 [Electronic] United States
• PMID: 33743541 (Publication Type: Journal Article, Observational Study, Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural, Research Support, N.I.H., Intramural)
• Copyright: © 2021 by the American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases.

Chemical References

• Antiviral Agents
• Hepatitis B Surface Antigens
• Hepatitis B e Antigens
• Reverse Transcriptase Inhibitors
• Lamivudine
• entecavir
• Guanine
• Tenofovir
• Alanine Transaminase

Topics

• Adolescent
• Adult
• Aged
• Alanine Transaminase (blood)
• Antiviral Agents (therapeutic use)
• Coinfection
• Drug Therapy, Combination
• Female
• Guanine (analogs & derivatives, therapeutic use)
• HIV Infections (complications, drug therapy)
• Hepatitis B Surface Antigens (blood)
• Hepatitis B e Antigens (blood)
• Hepatitis B, Chronic (blood, complications, drug therapy, pathology)
• Humans
• Lamivudine (therapeutic use)
• Liver (pathology)
• Male
• Middle Aged
• North America
• Prospective Studies
• Reverse Transcriptase Inhibitors (therapeutic use)
• Tenofovir (therapeutic use)
• Treatment Outcome
• Young Adult