BACKGROUND

Mortality related to end-stage liver disease is increasing in HIV/hepatitis B virus (HBV)-coinfected patients and effective treatment options are limited. Tenofovir is now widely used in HIV/HBV coinfection and results in significant HBV suppression, in both patients with and patients without lamivudine resistance. The safety and efficacy of tenofovir in HIV/HBV cirrhosis has not been previously described.

METHODS

Seven cirrhotic HIV/HBV patients treated with tenofovir were identified within the HIV clinic. Parameters of hepatic function, CD4+ T-cell counts, HBV DNA levels and Child-Pugh Class (C-P-C) were determined before and after addition of tenofovir. All patients had prior lamivudine experience with a median baseline HBV DNA of 6.23 x 10(7) copies/ml.

RESULTS

Four of seven patients were C-P-C -A and hepatitis 'e' antigen (HBeAG) was positive in 4/7 patients. After a median duration of tenofovir of 28 months, all laboratory parameters improved, with significant changes in albumin and prothrombin (PT) (median pre/post-tenofovir: alanine aminotransferase 63/39; bilirubin 26/18; albumin 39/44, P = 0.028; PT 17.5/15, P = 0.018). All three patients with C-P-C -B or -C improved to C-P-C -A, which for one patient enabled removal from the liver transplant waiting list. Three patients lost HBeAG with two anti-HBe seroconversions. Median HBV DNA was suppressed to <35 copies/mi.

CONCLUSIONS

This study demonstrates that tenofovir can produce HBV viral suppression, HBeAg seroconversion and improvement in markers of hepatic function in HIV/HBV-coinfected patients with cirrhosis. The potential reversal of end-stage liver disease may provide an important survival benefit in this population.