title: Interferon-alpha-induced thyroid dysfunction in patients with chronic active hepatitis C: a transient, reversible and self-limited dysfunction.
abstract: To survey the prognoses of interferon-alpha (IFNalpha)-induced thyroid dysfunction, a total of 100 patients (49 males and 51 females) with biopsy-proven chronic active hepatitis C were studied. Either during or after IFNalpha therapy, 29 patients (33.7%) revealed suppression/elevation of thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) or both, transient thyrotoxicosis (TSH less than 0.1 microU/ml) or transient hypothyroidism (TSH 5.0-190.95 microU/ml). However, the thyroid function normalized without supplementation of the thyroid hormone in the follow-up period. In the same period, one of the 14 control patients (7.1%) developed thyroid dysfunction. Thyroid abnormalities developed significantly more in patients with IFNalpha therapy than in those without IFNalpha therapy. The findings suggest that the occult autoimmune disorder becomes overt with IFNalpha treatment in patients with pre-existent autoimmune thyroid disease. IFNalpha-induced thyroid dysfunction is transient, reversible and self-limited. It is not necessary to discontinue IFNalpha therapy when thyroid dysfunction develops.
authors.affiliation: First Department of Internal Medicine, Toho University School of Medicine, Tokyo.
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Tsuboi
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Katayama
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Yuasa
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Matoba
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Nagayama
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Ihara
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Ooya
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Matsuo
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Otsuka
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Miyachi
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001327:Autoimmune Diseases / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology; D005260:Female; D006042:Goiter / Q000150:complications; D019698:Hepatitis C, Chronic / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy*; D006801:Humans; D007037:Hypothyroidism / Q000209:etiology; D000077190:Interferon alpha-2; D016898:Interferon-alpha / Q000009:adverse effects*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011379:Prognosis; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D013959:Thyroid Diseases / Q000209:etiology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D013966:Thyroiditis / Q000209:etiology; D013972:Thyrotropin / Q000097:blood; D013974:Thyroxine / Q000097:blood
chemical_list: D000077190:Interferon alpha-2; D016898:Interferon-alpha; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D013972:Thyrotropin; D013974:Thyroxine