title: Development of anti-interferon antibodies and breakthrough hepatitis during treatment for HCV infection in haemophiliacs.
abstract: The development of anti-interferon antibodies may lead to treatment failure during interferon therapy. We have studied the development of such antibodies in a group of 39 haemophiliacs receiving interferon-alpha 2a for chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection. Anti-interferon antibodies developed in five (13%) patients and were associated with "breakthrough hepatitis' in three cases. There was an association between the development of anti-interferon antibodies and infection with HCV genotype 3a (P = 0.01). This study suggests that the development of anti-interferon antibodies may lead to treatment failure in a proportion of haemophiliacs with HCV infection. The association with genotype 3a has not previously been reported. Monitoring for the development of breakthrough hepatitis due to anti-interferon antibodies may provide the opportunity to develop strategies to overcome their effects.
authors.affiliation: Department of Haematology, Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh.
authors.forename: J P
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Hanley
authors.forename: L M
authors.initials: LM
authors.lastname: Jarvis
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Simmonds
authors.forename: C A
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: Ludlam
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000906:Antibodies / Q000276:immunology*; D005260:Female; D006467:Hemophilia A / Q000150:complications*; D006526:Hepatitis C / Q000276:immunology / Q000628:therapy*; D006801:Humans; D000077190:Interferon alpha-2; D016898:Interferon-alpha / Q000276:immunology* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011994:Recombinant Proteins
chemical_list: D000906:Antibodies; D000077190:Interferon alpha-2; D016898:Interferon-alpha; D011994:Recombinant Proteins