24-month outcomes after switching to Dolutegravir/Lamivudine in people living with HIV and HBcAb positivity at the Beijing Ditan Hospital in China.

Background: Dolutegravir/lamivudine (DTG/3TC) is a recommended therapy regimen for hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg)-negative people living with HIV (PLWH) who have achieved HIV virological suppression or are treatment-naïve. However, this may overlook the impact of occult hepatitis B infection on HIV suppression, which mainly present as hepatitis B core antibody (HBcAb) positive but HBsAg negative. We aim to assess the effect of HBcAb positivity on HIV suppression among PLWH who had switched to DTG/3TC.

Methods: A retrospective study was conducted including 127 HBcAb-positive and 474 HBcAb-negative PLWH (all were HBsAg negative) who had switched to DTG/3TC at the Beijing Ditan Hospital in China. HIV-RNA suppression was compared pre-switch (not baseline), at switch, and at 12&24 months post-switch, across three categories: (1) target not detected (TND); (2) HIV RNA < 40 cp/mL; (3) blip. Virological suppression included TND and HIV RNA < 40 cp/mL. Epidemiological (gender, age) and clinical data (CD4 count, HIV viral load, etc.) were extracted from the hospital information system. A p-value < 0.05 was considered statistically significant.

Result: HBcAb-positive PLWH were older at DTG/3TC switch (median age: 41 vs. 36 years old, p < 0.001) and had lower nadir CD4 counts (median nadir CD4 counts: 255 vs. 295, p = 0.011). No difference in TND and HIV RNA < 40 cp/mL was present in the two groups at the switch (HBcAb-positive and -negative: 86.6% vs. 88.8%, 12.6% vs. 10.5%, p = 0.789). Similar HBcAb-positive compared with -negative PLWH resulted in TND at 12&24 months post-switch: 91.4% vs. 91% (p = 0.522) and 88.4% vs. 92.7% (p = 0.249), respectively. Consistent result was observed in HIV RNA < 40 cp/mL.

Conclusion: In the 24-month follow-up after switching to DTG/3TC, HBcAb positivity was not significantly associated with HIV virological suppression.