The Occurrence of rtA194T Mutant After Long-Term Lamivudine Monotherapy Remains Sensitive to Tenofovir Disoproxil Fumarate: A Case Report

Tenofovir disoproxil fumarate (TDF) is recommended as first-line agents in chronic hepatitis B (CHB) patients for its high antiviral effects and high barrier to resistance. It is controversial whether the rtA194T mutation truly confers resistance against TDF. We present here a 62-year-old CHB patient who occurred rtL180M, rtM204V and rtA194T mutants after lamivudine (LAM) monotherapy for 9 years. TDF was introduced in replacement of LAM and led to Hepatitis B Virus (HBV) DNA undetectable in 1 month, maintained in the follow up of 52 weeks. These observations suggest that rtA194T mutation emerges under LAM monotherapy and remains sensitive to TDF.