Impact of resolved hepatitis B virus infection on clinical outcomes in patients with diffuse large B-cell lymphoma: a supplementary analysis of JCOG0601.

Authors

Shinya Hagiwara, Shigeru Kusumoto, Ryunosuke Machida, Ken Ohmachi, Junya Makiyama, Wataru Munakata, Kiyoshi Ando, Tomohiro Kinoshita, Kunihiro Tsukasaki, Hirokazu Nagai, Dai Maruyama

Published in

International journal of hematology. Sep 27, 2026. Epub Sep 27, 2026.

Abstract

The impact of resolved hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection, defined as pretreatment hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) negativity with antibody to hepatitis B core antigen (anti-HBc) positivity, on the clinical characteristics and outcomes of diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) remains unclear. JCOG0601 was a randomized phase II/III trial showing no improvement in progression-free survival (PFS) with dose-dense rituximab plus CHOP in previously untreated DLBCL. This supplementary analysis of JCOG0601 evaluated whether baseline anti-HBc positivity affects PFS and overall survival (OS) in patients with HBsAg-negative DLBCL treated with rituximab-containing CHOP-based therapy. Among 406 eligible patients randomly assigned in JCOG0601, 405 with available baseline HBV serologic data were included. Baseline characteristics and outcomes were compared according to anti-HBc status. Of the 405 patients, 87 were anti-HBc-positive and 318 were anti-HBc-negative. Anti-HBc-positive patients were older than anti-HBc-negative patients (median age, 63 vs. 61 years; p = 0.008). No significant differences in PFS or OS were observed between the two groups (3-year PFS, 78% vs. 81%; 3-year OS, 90% vs. 90%). HBV reactivation occurred in five anti-HBc-positive patients. Baseline anti-HBc positivity was more common in older patients but was not associated with inferior outcomes in HBsAg-negative DLBCL treated with rituximab-containing CHOP-based therapy.Clinical trial registration: JCOG0601 was registered in the Japan Registry of Clinical Trials (jRCTs031180139, date of registration; February 20, 2019).

PMID:
42801438
Bibliographic data and abstract were imported from PubMed on 28 Sep 2026.

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