title: Incidence and characteristics of thyroid dysfunction following interferon therapy in patients with chronic hepatitis C.
abstract: Thyroid functions were analyzed before, during and after interferon (IFN) therapy in patients with chronic hepatitis C. According to the results of routine thyroid function tests and measurements of the levels of anti-thyroid autoantibody prior to the therapy, patients were divided into 2 groups; Group A (19 patients) had at least one abnormal finding related to the thyroid, and Group B (40 patients) did not show any abnormality. Five patients (26%) in Group A and 4 (10%) in Group B showed thyroid dysfunctions which were very clearly reflected by thyrotropin (TSH) measurements. Interestingly, the time of peak TSH elevation in Group A (mean +/- SD, 4.3 +/- 0.8 months) was significantly earlier than that in Group B (6.8 +/- 0.8). Most patients in Group B were diagnosed as having destructive thyroiditis. These findings may suggest that the pathogenesis of IFN-induced thyroid dysfunction consists not only of exacerbation of pre-existing thyroid autoimmunity but also of de novo destructive changes even in the intact thyroid before IFN therapy.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine and Clinical Science, Kyoto University Graduate School of Medicine.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Amenomori
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Mori
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Fukuda
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Sugawa
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Nishida
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Furukawa
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Kita
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Sando
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Komeda
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Nakao
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000998:Antiviral Agents / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006526:Hepatitis C / Q000276:immunology; D018937:Hepatitis C Antibodies / Q000032:analysis; D019698:Hepatitis C, Chronic / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy*; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D007370:Interferon Type I / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D016899:Interferon-beta / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011863:Radioimmunoassay; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D013959:Thyroid Diseases / Q000097:blood / Q000139:chemically induced* / Q000453:epidemiology; D013960:Thyroid Function Tests; D013972:Thyrotropin / Q000097:blood
chemical_list: D000998:Antiviral Agents; D018937:Hepatitis C Antibodies; D007370:Interferon Type I; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D016899:Interferon-beta; D013972:Thyrotropin