Late development of diabetes mellitus after interferon-alfa and ribavirin therapy for chronic hepatitis C: a case report.
OBJECTIVE
To report the late development of immune-mediated diabetes mellitus after completion of alfa-interferon therapy for hepatitis C in an Asian patient.


METHODS
A 50-year-old male with chronic hepatitis C received treatment with alfa-interferon and ribavirin for 52 weeks. He developed immune-mediated diabetes mellitus with low C-peptide and positive antiglutamic acid decarboxylase antibody after completion of therapy. The hepatitis C infection was eradicated, but he continued to be diabetic requiring insulin therapy during the follow-up.


CONCLUSIONS
This report shows thatimmune-mediateddiabetes mellitus can occur as a late complication of alfa-interferon therapy.
Radhakrishnan
Sivasankara
S
Department of Gastroenterology, The Royal Hospital, Muscat, Oman. jagan01@omantel.net.om
Upadhyay
Amal
A
Mohan
Nihar
N
Dhar
Anjan
A
Walia
Harbhajan Kaur
HK
Zubaidi
Ghazi
G
D000998:Antiviral Agents / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D015551:Autoimmunity; D003920:Diabetes Mellitus / Q000139:chemically induced* / Q000276:immunology; D019698:Hepatitis C, Chronic / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy*; D006801:Humans; D016898:Interferon-alpha / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009850:Oman; D012254:Ribavirin / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D016896:Treatment Outcome
D000998:Antiviral Agents; D016898:Interferon-alpha; D012254:Ribavirin