Effect of interferon therapy in a patient with chronic active hepatitis type C associated with interstitial pneumonia and rheumatoid arthritis: a case report.
Interferon (IFN) is widely used to treat patients with chronic hepatitis types B and C but has been found to occasionally aggravate rheumatoid arthritis (RA) or cause interstitial pneumonia. We administered 6 MIU/d IFN-beta by intravenous injection for 6 weeks to a 55-year-old man with chronic active hepatitis type C associated with RA and interstitial pneumonia. Transaminase levels rapidly returned to normal after treatment and hepatitis C virus-RNA (nested RT-PCR method) was negative on completion of treatment. No significant adverse reactions or aggravation of RA or interstitial pneumonia occurred. These findings suggest that use of IFN-beta in the treatment of patients with chronic hepatitis type C associated with RA and/or interstitial pneumonia presents no problem if appropriate precautions are taken.
Kurihara
T
T
Department of Gastroenterology (Institute of Geriatrics), Aoyama Hospital, Tokyo Women's Medical College, Japan.
Abe
K
K
Ishiguro
H
H
Maeda
A
A
Shigemoto
M
M
Yamashita
K
K
Yakoyama
I
I
Ohsako
S
S
Suzuki
T
T
Hara
M
M
D000894:Anti-Inflammatory Agents, Non-Steroidal / Q000627:therapeutic use; D018771:Arthralgia / Q000188:drug therapy; D001172:Arthritis, Rheumatoid / Q000150:complications*; D006526:Hepatitis C / Q000150:complications / Q000473:pathology / Q000628:therapy*; D006521:Hepatitis, Chronic / Q000150:complications / Q000473:pathology / Q000628:therapy*; D006801:Humans; D016899:Interferon-beta / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D017563:Lung Diseases, Interstitial / Q000150:complications*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged
D000894:Anti-Inflammatory Agents, Non-Steroidal; D016899:Interferon-beta