Treatment Outcome and Renal Safety of 3-Year Tenofovir Disoproxil Fumarate Therapy in Chronic Hepatitis B Patients with Preserved Glomerular Filtration Rate

BACKGROUND/AIMS: To investigate the treatment efficacy and renal safety of long-term tenofovir disoproxil fumarate (TDF) therapy in chronic hepatitis B (CHB) patients with preserved renal function. METHODS: The medical records of 919 CHB patients who were treated with TDF therapy were reviewed. All patients had preserved renal function with an estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) of at least 60 mL/min/1.73 m2. RESULTS: A total of 426 patients (184 treatment-naïve and 242 treatment-experienced) were included for analysis. A virologic response (VR) was defined as achieving an undetectable serum hepatitis B virus (HBV) DNA level, and the overall VR was 74.9%, 86.7%, and 89.4% at the 1, 2, and 3-year follow-ups, respectively. Achieving a VR was not influenced by previous treatment experience, TDF combination therapy, or antiviral resistance. In a multivariate analysis, being hepatitis B e antigen positive at baseline and having a serum HBV DNA level ≥2,000 IU/mL at 12 months were associated with lower VR rates during the long-term TDF therapy. The overall renal impairment was 2.9%, 1.8%, and 1.7% at the 1, 2, and 3-year follow-ups, respectively. With regard to renal safety, underlying diabetes mellitus (DM) and an initial eGFR of 60 to 89 mL/min/1.73 m2 were significant independent predictors of renal impairment. CONCLUSIONS: TDF therapy appears to be an effective treatment option for CHB patients with a preserved GFR. However, patients with underlying DM and initial mild renal dysfunction (eGFR, 60 to 89 mL/min/1.73 m2) have an increased risk of renal impairment.

Coexisting Rheumatoid Arthritis and Takayasu's Arteritis: a Case Report and Review of the Literature

The coexistence of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and Takayasu's arteritis (TA) is a rare combination and described only in case reports in the literature. Although concurrent presence of RA and TA has been described only in a few literatures to date and the number of reports is increasing, the association between RA and TA remains to be clarified. We present a case of a female patient with both RA and TA, presenting with polyarthritis. We also reviewed the clinical features of the cases with coexistence of RA and TA.

Hemorrhagic Cystitis with Giant Cells in Rheumatoid Arthritis Treating with Tacrolimus

Hemorrhagic cystitis is a diffuse inflammation of the mucosa of the bladder, characterized by hematuria and burning upon urination. This might be caused by a variety of reasons, including undergoing chemotherapy (such as cyclophosphamide), radiation therapy, bladder cancer, certain viruses, urinary infections, and thrombocytopenia. There are no previous reports of hemorrhagic cystitis associated with the use of tacrolimus. This is the first case of hemorrhagic cystitis due to tacrolimus for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis. We describe a case of hemorrhagic cystitis with giant cells in a patient with rheumatoid arthritis treating with tacrolimus. Hematuria resolved spontaneously with discontinuation of the drug.