Complete remission of hepatitis B virus-related membranous nephropathy after entecavir monotherapy.

ABSTRACT

We reported a case of Hepatitis B virus-related membranous nephropathy (HBV-MN) with improvement under an ongoing 4.5-year of entecavir monotherapy. A 37 years old man with a 5 years' history of chronic hepatitis B (CHB) who was taken to our department because of proteinuria and microscopic haematuria. A renal biopsy led to a diagnosis of HBV-MN with mesangioproliferative. Interferon-alpha 2b (IFN-α2b) was stopped after 24 weeks due to the increasement of HBV-DNA and sustained HBeAg positive. Therefore, we started using 0.5mg entecavir per day. After 2 months' treatment, HBV-DNA was not detected in the blood, and the ALT and AST decreased to normal degree. After 3 years of entecavir therapy, virological tests revealed HBeAg seroconversion. With no further intervention during the next one and a half years, there was improvement of proteinuria gradually. This suggested that entecavir monotherapy may induce and maintain complete remission of membranous nephropathy associated with hepatitis B.