title: Effect of interferon therapy in a patient with chronic active hepatitis type C associated with interstitial pneumonia and rheumatoid arthritis: a case report.
abstract: 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.
authors.affiliation: Department of Gastroenterology (Institute of Geriatrics), Aoyama Hospital, Tokyo Women's Medical College, Japan.
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kurihara
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Abe
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Ishiguro
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Maeda
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Shigemoto
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Yamashita
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Yakoyama
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ohsako
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Suzuki
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hara
mesh_terms: 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
chemical_list: D000894:Anti-Inflammatory Agents, Non-Steroidal; D016899:Interferon-beta