Chemotherapy drugs do not affect the production of hepatitis B surface antibodies: A case report

Vaccines can stimulate an immune response. However, whether the use of chemotherapy drugs affects the body's production of antibodies after vaccination remains to be studied. This study reports the case of a 49-year-old female patient who first visited Chifeng City Hospital (Chifeng, China) in January 2021 who was likely naturally infected with hepatitis B virus (HBV) during administration of vincristine, doxorubicin and prednisone because the patient was diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukemia, recovered spontaneously and developed high levels of anti-hepatitis B surface antibodies (anti-HBs). Due to routine testing for hepatitis B during treatment, the test in February 2022 revealed that the hepatitis B antigen (HBsAg) level was 0.19 (positive). Subsequently, a peripheral blood hepatitis B virus nucleic acid test was performed and the results did not show amplification. In March 2022, the HBsAg quantitative result was 12.8 (positive). The following day, consolidation chemotherapy was performed with the cisplatin, oxaliplatin, doxorubicin, etoposide and tegafur regimen and vincristine treatment was administered in March 2022. In August 2022, the HBsAg quantitative result of the patient was <0.05 (negative) and the anti-HB content was 982 IU/l; 2 days later methotrexate combined with pegaspargase treatment was administered. Overall, the present study showed that chemotherapy did not affect the production of anti-HBs in the patient.