Successful switch to tenofovir after suboptimal response to entecavir in an immunocompromised patient with chronic hepatitis B and without genotypic hepatitis B virus resistance

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http://www.springerlink.com/content/q9528r2355654770/

Infection

DOI: 10.1007/s15010-011-0127-3Online First™

Case Report

Successful switch to tenofovir after suboptimal response to entecavir in an

immunocompromised patient with chronic hepatitis B and without genotypic

hepatitis B virus resistance

C. Sarrecchia, V. Svicher, A. Volpi, R. Salpini, L. Ceccarelli, P. Sordillo, A.

Bertoli, C. F. Perno and M. Andreoni

Abstract

We report a case of an immunocompromised patient affected by chronic hepatitis B

virus (HBV) with high basal HBV viremia (>8 log10 IU/ml) who failed an entecavir

regimen, despite the absence of primary or secondary drug resistance mutations.

The patient achieved sustained virological success (serum HBV DNA <12 IU/ml)

when tenofovir was added to the treatment. This case highlights the difficulty

in choosing an optimal therapy in such specific conditions and supports the

concept of tailoring therapy (including combination regimens) on the basis of

the particular conditions of each individual patient.