title: Effect of interferon-beta on thyroid function in patients of chronic hepatitis C without preexisting autoimmune thyroid disease.
abstract: The effect of interferon-beta (IFN-beta) on thyroid function was studied in patients with chronic hepatitis who had no preexisting thyroid disease. Eleven patients (9 males and 2 females) aged 20 to 65 years, with a mean age of 47.7 +/- 13.5 years, were treated with 6 million units of IFN-beta intravenously every day for 8 weeks. During IFN-beta administration (4th to 8th week of treatment), both serum free thyroxine (FT4) and free triiodothyronine (FT3) concentrations decreased significantly (P < 0.0005 and P < 0.05, respectively): FT4, 1.37 +/- 0.17 to 1.09 +/- 0.12 ng/dl, and FT3, 3.71 +/- 0.45 to 3.28 +/- 0.34 pg/ml. On the other hand, serum TSH increased significantly from a baseline of 1.70 +/- 0.82 to 3.34 +/- 1.98 microU/ml during IFN-beta administration (P < 0.005). Four to eight weeks after cessation of treatment, the mean serum FT4 concentration was similar to that during IFN-beta administration (1.04 +/- 0.14 ng/dl), but mean serum FT3 and TSH concentrations returned to pre-treatment levels (FT3, 3.57 +/- 0.42 pg/ml and TSH, 1.60 +/- 0.84 microU/ml). Both reverse T3 and thyroglobulin were essentially unchanged. Tests for anti-thyroglobulin and anti-microsomal antibodies were negative in all the patients. These results indicate that IFN-beta may inhibit thyroid function in patients without preexisting thyroid disease irrespective of humoral immune responses.
authors.affiliation: First Department of Internal Medicine, School of Medicine, Kanazawa University, Japan.
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Nagai
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Ohsawa
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Ieki
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kobayashi
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000998:Antiviral Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D005260:Female; D006526:Hepatitis C / Q000097:blood* / Q000188:drug therapy; D006801:Humans; D007118:Immunoassay; D007124:Immunoenzyme Techniques; D007275:Injections, Intravenous; D016899:Interferon-beta / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D013954:Thyroglobulin / Q000097:blood / Q000187:drug effects / Q000276:immunology; D013961:Thyroid Gland / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism; D013972:Thyrotropin / Q000097:blood / Q000187:drug effects / Q000276:immunology; D013974:Thyroxine / Q000097:blood / Q000187:drug effects / Q000276:immunology; D014284:Triiodothyronine / Q000097:blood / Q000187:drug effects / Q000276:immunology
chemical_list: D000998:Antiviral Agents; D014284:Triiodothyronine; D016899:Interferon-beta; D013972:Thyrotropin; D013954:Thyroglobulin; D013974:Thyroxine