title: [Natural history of dysthyroidism during interferon treatment of chronic hepatitis C].
abstract: Thyroid dysfunction developed in 35 patients among a series of 300 (190 men and 110 women) treated with alpha-interferon (35/300 = 12%. No relationship was observed between the type of alpha-interferon, the dose, or hepatic response, but there were more women (24/35). Antithyroid antibody levels were frequently elevated before treatment (8/35, 23%). Hypothyroidism developed in 27 patients, 7 with clinical hypothyroidism, 10 with moderate hypothyroidism and 5 with elevated TSH only. Patients with severe symptoms and highly elevated thyroid antibodies were more prone to develop sustained or irreversible hypothyroidism (10 patients). Twelve patients recovered a normal thyroid function within a few months, but antibody levels fell more slowly. Primary hyperthyroidism of variable severity appeared in 13 patients. In 8 patients, normal thyroid function was recovered within a few weeks but thyroid antibodies remained high for at least one year. In 5 others spontaneous hypothyroidism occurred within a few weeks ("biphasic" hypothyroidism). Direct toxicity appears to be less probable than an autoimmune mechanism; elevated antithyroid antibodies were observed in only 20 patients (57%). In clinical practice, TSH levels should be regularly monitored during and after alpha-interferon therapy.
authors.affiliation: Service de Médecine Nucléaire, Hôpital Beaujon, Clichy.
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Mekkakia-Benhabib
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Marcellin
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Colas-Linhart
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Castel-Nau
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Buyck
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Erlinger
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Bok
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000906:Antibodies / Q000097:blood; D000998:Antiviral Agents / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D002908:Chronic Disease; D005260:Female; D006526:Hepatitis C / Q000628:therapy*; D006801:Humans; D006980:Hyperthyroidism / Q000139:chemically induced* / Q000276:immunology; D007037:Hypothyroidism / Q000139:chemically induced* / Q000276:immunology; D007370:Interferon Type I / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use; D016898:Interferon-alpha / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009195:Peroxidase / Q000276:immunology; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D013954:Thyroglobulin / Q000276:immunology
chemical_list: D000906:Antibodies; D000998:Antiviral Agents; D007370:Interferon Type I; D016898:Interferon-alpha; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D013954:Thyroglobulin; D009195:Peroxidase