HIV Digest	HIV Digest Archive

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The nucleotide analog tenofovir disoproxil fumarate exhibited potent activity against chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection in patients co-infected with HIV in a prospective pilot study reported by physicians at the Washington University School of Medicine. Researchers report on results in six such patients who had failed treatment with lamivudine and interferon-alpha.

Treatment with tenofovir was added to their antiretroviral regimen, and five patients continued therapy with lamivudine or emtricitabine. By week 12, HBV RNA serum levels declined from a median of 7.95 log10 copies/mL to 4.8 log10 copies/mL. Further treatment until week 24 resulted in an additional decline to 3.6 log10 copies/mL. In two patients, HBV RNA was undetectable by study end. Furthermore, among three subjects in whom HIV RNA was above measurable levels at baseline, the HIV viral load decreased by .7 log10 copies/mL from a median of 3.1 log10 copies/mL.

Tenofovir was well tolerated, with only a mild increase of alanine aminotransferase by 17 U/L after 12 weeks of treatment from 53 U/L at baseline.

Editor's Note: from Reuters Health