Should we routinely treat patients with autoimmune/rheumatic diseases and chronic hepatitis B virus infection starting biologic therapies with antiviral agents? NO

Abstract

Hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection affects a large part of the world population. Different virological HBV categories have been identified and managing strategies for immunosuppressed patients with serological signs of current or past HBV infection has been proposed. Those strategies developed to manage patients in the haematology setting are based on strong evidence. Instead, management of such patients in the rheumatologic setting, especially those treated with biologic response modifiers, is mainly based on data derived by case reports and expert opinions. More data are needed to better manage these patients in case of signs of current or past HBV infection.