[Anti-thyroid autoantibodies in hepatitis C. Thyroid function after interferon therapy in 4 patients].
Four female patients had chronic hepatitis C associated with antithyroid autoantibodies. Hepatitis C virus infection was evidenced by liver biopsy and a positive-four-antigen recombinant immunoblot assay. All four patients were euthyroid before interferon therapy. Recombinant interferon alpha was given at a dose of 3 millions units three times a week for 6 months. At the end of the treatment, serum aminotransferase levels were within the normal range. Two patients progressed to hypothyroidism and 2 patients remained euthyroid. One year after the end of the treatment, only one patient had hypothyroidism and another had normal serum aminotransferase levels. These case-reports suggest that interferon administration may induce thyroid dysfunction in patients with antithyroid autoantibodies at the beginning of treatment. Thyroid dysfunction may be reversed when cytokine is withdrawn.
Service d'Hépato-Gastroentérologie, Hôpital de l'Archet, Nice.
J F
JF
Broussard
A
A
Tran
S
S
Benzaken
J F
JF
Quaranta
A
A
Frédenrich
G
G
Dreyfus
P
P
Rampal
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000998:Antiviral Agents / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D002908:Chronic Disease; D005260:Female; D006526:Hepatitis C / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans; D018828:Immunoglobulins, Thyroid-Stimulating / Q000032:analysis*; D007372:Interferons / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D008875:Middle Aged; D013960:Thyroid Function Tests; D013961:Thyroid Gland / Q000187:drug effects / Q000503:physiopathology
D000998:Antiviral Agents; D018828:Immunoglobulins, Thyroid-Stimulating; D007372:Interferons
Auto-anticorps anti-thyroïdiens au cours de l'hépatite C. Evolution de la fonction thyroïdienne sous traitement par interféron chez 4 malades.