Postoperative hepatitis B virus reactivation in hepatitis B virus-related hepatocellular carcinoma patients with hepatitis B virus DNA levels <500 copies/mL

BACKGROUND: Patients with hepatocellular carcinoma have the risk of postoperative hepatitis B virus (HBV) reactivation (PHR). Antiviral therapy was given to patients with detectable HBV DNA levels but not to patients with undetectable HBV DNA levels. METHODS: In this retrospective study, 258 patients were enrolled (HBV DNA levels <500 copies/mL group, n=159, and HBV DNA levels >500 copies/mL group, n=99). RESULTS: A total of 50 patients (19.4%) had PHR. The following significant factors related to PHR were found: without antiviral therapy (hazard ratio [HR] =0.17, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.031–0.911), hepatitis B e antigen positivity (HR =5.20, 95% CI 1.931–14.007), hepatitis B core antigen S1 positivity (HR =2.54, 95% CI 1.116–5.762), preoperative HBV DNA levels ≥500 copies/mL (HR =1.28, 95% CI 1.085–2.884), hepatic inflow occlusion (HR =3.60, 95% CI 1.402–9.277), moderate liver cirrhosis or more (HR =2.26, 95% CI 1.001–5.121), and blood transfusion (HR =2.89, 95% CI 0.836–10.041). Recurrence-free survival time was significantly shorter in patients with PHR (23.06±2.46 months) than in patients without PHR (29.30±1.27 months). CONCLUSION: Antiviral therapy could efficiently decrease the incidence of PHR. Patients with HBV DNA levels <500 copies/mL still have the risk of PHR. PHR remained as a prognostic risk factor for hepatocellular carcinoma recurrence and recurrence-free survival.