title: Sustained exacerbation of cryoglobulinaemia-related vasculitis following treatment of hepatitis C with peginterferon alfa.
abstract: Peginterferon is now the gold standard of therapy in patients with chronic hepatitis C virus infection. Extrahepatic manifestations of HCV are usually treated with interferon alfa. Here we report on a patient with HCV-related cirrhosis and cryoglobulinaemia who presented with an acute and long-lasting exacerbation of vasculitis during treatment with peginterferon. To our knowledge this is the first report of an acute exacerbation of cryoglobulinaemia-related vasculitis involving skin, peripheral nerve and kidney in a patient treated with peginterferon for HCV-related cirrhosis. The long half-life of peginterferon might explain the long-lasting symptoms of vasculitis. Clinicians should be aware of possible sustained flare of cryoglobulinaemia-associated vasculitis in patients receiving peginterferon.
authors.affiliation: Service d'Immunologie Clinique, Hôpital Européen Georges Pompidou, Paris, France. dominique.batisse@hop.egp.ap-hop-paris.fr
authors.forename: Dominique
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Batisse
authors.forename: Marina
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Karmochkine
authors.forename: Christian
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Jacquot
authors.forename: Michel D
authors.initials: MD
authors.lastname: Kazatchkine
authors.forename: Laurence
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Weiss
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000998:Antiviral Agents / Q000009:adverse effects*; D003449:Cryoglobulinemia / Q000150:complications*; D003875:Drug Eruptions / Q000209:etiology; D019698:Hepatitis C, Chronic / Q000188:drug therapy*; D006801:Humans; D000077190:Interferon alpha-2; D016898:Interferon-alpha / Q000009:adverse effects*; D008297:Male; D011092:Polyethylene Glycols; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D014657:Vasculitis / Q000139:chemically induced*
chemical_list: D000998:Antiviral Agents; D000077190:Interferon alpha-2; D016898:Interferon-alpha; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D011092:Polyethylene Glycols; C417083:peginterferon alfa-2b