title: Ineffective interferon treatment of chronic hepatitis C-associated porphyria cutanea tarda, but with a transient decrease in HCV RNA levels.
abstract: Many patients with porphyria cutanea tarda (PCT) have been reported to be hepatitis C virus (HCV) carriers, suggesting that HCV infection plays a role in the pathogenesis of this type of porphyria. In this study, we report a patient with chronic hepatitis C-associated PCT. Therapy with interferon (IFN) transiently decreased HCV RNA levels, but levels of urinary porphyrins and serum transaminases and ferritin remained unchanged. Serum ferritin and urinary porphyrin levels improved after phlebotomy, but this therapy was not effective in improving serum transaminase levels. Although a physiopathological association between HCV infection and PCT has been suggested previously, IFN was not effective in this patient. The transient decrease in HCV RNA levels was a factor independent of porphyrin metabolism.
authors.affiliation: Third Department of Internal Medicine, Mie University School of Medicine, Edobashi, Tsu, Japan.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Furuta
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kaito
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Gabazza
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Fujita
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ishida
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Tamaki
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Ikeda
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Wakisawa
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Hayashi
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Watanabe
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Adachi
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000998:Antiviral Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D016174:Hepacivirus; D019698:Hepatitis C, Chronic / Q000150:complications* / Q000188:drug therapy; D006801:Humans; D016898:Interferon-alpha / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D008297:Male; D017119:Porphyria Cutanea Tarda / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000209:etiology*; D012367:RNA, Viral / Q000097:blood*
chemical_list: D000998:Antiviral Agents; D016898:Interferon-alpha; D012367:RNA, Viral