PT - JOURNAL ARTICLE AU - Shu-Chen Kuo AU - Hui-Ting Lee AU - Wei-Sheng Chen AU - Chung-Tei Chou AU - Chang-Youh Tsai TI - Deterioration of the liver biochemistry due to reactivation of chronic hepatitis B during etanercept treatment for rheumatoid arthritis AID - 10.1136/bcr.09.2008.0873 DP - 2009 Jan 01 TA - BMJ Case Reports PG - bcr0920080873 VI - 2009 4099 - http://casereports.bmj.com/content/2009/bcr.09.2008.0873.short 4100 - http://casereports.bmj.com/content/2009/bcr.09.2008.0873.full AB - To report a hepatitis B virus (HBV) reactivation during the treatment of etanercept for rheumatoid arthritis (RA).The chronological course of a patient with RA who developed HBV reactivation associated with etanercept treatment was recorded.A Taiwanese woman with RA was treated by etanercept. A severe deterioration of liver biochemistry occurred soon after the start of the biologicals because of the previously unrecognised HBV carrier status. The condition was successfully alleviated by oral lamivudine administration.In the prevalent area of HBV, viral titre monitoring and pre-emptive antiviral treatment may be fundamentally important to avoid serious complications of HBV reactivation whenever a new treatment modality such as biologicals is started for patients with RA.