title: Incidence of autoimmune thyroiditis in interferon-alpha treated and untreated patients with chronic hepatitis C virus infection.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To clarify the relationship between interferon-alpha (IFN-alpha) therapy and autoimmune thyroiditis in chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection, we investigated a selected number of patients without basal thyroid dysfunctions.
  
  
  METHODS
  130 patients (average age: 20-70), with chronic HCV infection and without basal clinical and laboratory signs of autoimmune thyroiditis were divided into two groups: IFN-alpha treated (A) and untreated (B) patients. Group A received IFN-alpha (three million U.I./3 times a week) for six months; group B was followed for the same period. Thyroid peroxidase and thyroglobulin autoantibodies were measured by radioimmunoassay; thyroid function was measured by radioimmunoassay (free thyroxine and triiodothyronine) and immunoradiometric assay (thyroid stimulating hormone).
  
  
  RESULTS
  After a 6-month period, thyroid autoantibodies positivity was documented in 21.1% of group A and in 10.3% of group B patients, both statistically relevant (p<0.001 and p<0.011, respectively). The comparison between the two groups was not statistically relevant (p=0.142).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our study showed a prevalence of de novo thyroid autoimmunity in chronic HCV patients treated with IFN-alpha, confirming previous data in literature. The lack of a significant difference between treated and untreated patients strongly suggests that the anti-thyroid autoimmune response is linked to the HCV infection itself. Moreover, IFN-alpha therapy probably does not represent a risk factor in renewing the autoimmune processes of the thyroid gland. Thyroid function and autoantibodies must be systematically monitored in patients with HCV infection, especially in female and IFN-alpha treated population, not only to verify the possible thyroid abnormalities but also to rule out concomitant autoimmune diseases.
authors.affiliation: Dept. of Medical Patophysiology, University of Rome La Sapienza, Italy. arocco48@libero.it
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Rocco
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Gargano
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Provenzano
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Nardone
authors.forename: G M
authors.initials: GM
authors.lastname: De Sanctis
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Altavilla
authors.forename: L V
authors.initials: LV
authors.lastname: Chircu
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Grimaldi
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000998:Antiviral Agents / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use; D015897:Comorbidity; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D019698:Hepatitis C, Chronic / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000453:epidemiology*; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D016898:Interferon-alpha / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015995:Prevalence; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D017678:Sex Distribution; D013967:Thyroiditis, Autoimmune / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology*
chemical_list: D000998:Antiviral Agents; D016898:Interferon-alpha