Induction of interstitial pneumonitis during interferon treatment for chronic hepatitis C.
A 48-year-old woman developed interstitial pneumonitis while receiving interferon treatment for chronic hepatitis C. Laboratory studies prior to treatment showed elevated serum alanine aminotransferase levels, but chest X-rays and physical examination revealed no abnormalities suggestive of interstitial pneumonitis. At the 9th week of interferon treatment (total dose, 380 MU of recombinant interferon-alpha, without other medications), the patient began to complain of cough and exertional dyspnea. A chest X-ray film revealed diffuse reticulo-nodular shadows in bilateral lung fields, suggesting a diagnosis of interstitial pneumonitis. A marked increase in lymphocyte count was observed in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid and a diagnosis of interstitial pneumonitis was made as a result of transbronchial lung biopsy. Her clinical symptoms and abnormal lung shadows were reversible, improving within a month of the discontinuation of interferon, and disappearing promptly after exogenous corticosteroid was instituted. This may be the first case of drug-induced interstitial pneumonitis occurring during the course of treatment with interferon alone. We should be aware of the possibility of interstitial pneumonitis developing during treatment of chronic hepatitis C with interferon.
Moriya
K
K
First Department of Internal Medicine, University of Tokyo, Japan.
Yasuda
K
K
Koike
K
K
Ichinose
Y
Y
Yotsuyanagi
H
H
Kurokawa
K
K
Iino
S
S
D001706:Biopsy; D002908:Chronic Disease; D005260:Female; D006526:Hepatitis C / Q000628:therapy*; D006801:Humans; D007370:Interferon Type I / Q000009:adverse effects*; D008168:Lung / Q000473:pathology; D017563:Lung Diseases, Interstitial / Q000209:etiology* / Q000473:pathology; D008875:Middle Aged; D011994:Recombinant Proteins
D007370:Interferon Type I; D011994:Recombinant Proteins