Tenofovir for HIV and Hepatitis B Virus Coinfection

Tenofovir is an effective first-line agent for patients with hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection (JW Gastroenterol Jan 23 2009). The drug also seems to be effective for patients who are coinfected with HBV and HIV, although follow-up evaluations have been limited.

In this multicenter, prospective, cohort study, Dutch researchers followed 102 HBV/HIV patients (mean age, 42; 90% men) for a median of 55 months (interquartile range, 42–64 months). At baseline, all patients had received tenofovir as part of antiretroviral therapy for ≥6 months, 80% had detectable HBV DNA (mean level, 7 log₁₀ IU/mL), 66% were positive for hepatitis B e antigen (HBeAg), 49% were treated previously with lamivudine, and 32% had evidence of lamivudine resistance. During…