title: Acute sensorineural hearing loss associated with peginterferon and ribavirin combination therapy during hepatitis C treatment: outcome after resumption of therapy.
abstract: Peginterferon and ribavirin combination therapy for the treatment of hepatitis C virus (HCV) is well known to be associated with significant adverse effects. Sensorineural hearing loss, that in most cases is unilateral, has been reported as a consequence of therapy with both non-pegylated and pegylated interferon (pegIFN) but is not a well-known adverse effect. We report a 45-year-old Caucasian woman who developed acute sensorineural hearing loss 2 mo after starting therapy with pegIFN-alpha 2b and ribavirin for the treatment of chronic HCV, genotype 1a. She did not report the hearing loss to the hepatitis clinic until 1 mo, later whereupon therapy was promptly discontinued. Although her serum alanine aminotransferase (ALT) normalized and her HCV-RNA became undetectable after 12 wk of pegIFN and ribavirin therapy, after discontinuation, her HCV-RNA became detectable with significant elevations of serum ALT. Four months after initial discontinuation, the patient re-commenced pegIFN and ribavirin combination therapy. After 44 of 48 wk of therapy, the patient's liver biochemistry has normalized and the HCV-RNA is undetectable. She has not developed worsening of her hearing loss and hearing on the left-side is unaffected. Both patients and physicians should be aware that sensorineural hearing loss may occur with pegIFN therapy. Our experience suggests that re-institution of therapy is not always associated with further hearing impairment.
authors.affiliation: Division of Gastroenterology, Vancouver General Hospital, 100-2647 Willow Street, Vancouver, BC V5Z 3P1, Canada.
authors.forename: Victor-K
authors.initials: VK
authors.lastname: Wong
authors.forename: Cindy
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Cheong-Lee
authors.forename: Jo-Ann-E
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Ford
authors.forename: Eric-M
authors.initials: EM
authors.lastname: Yoshida
mesh_terms: D000208:Acute Disease; D000998:Antiviral Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects*; D004359:Drug Therapy, Combination; D005260:Female; D006319:Hearing Loss, Sensorineural / Q000139:chemically induced*; D019698:Hepatitis C, Chronic / Q000188:drug therapy*; D006801:Humans; D000077190:Interferon alpha-2; D016898:Interferon-alpha / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects*; D008875:Middle Aged; D011092:Polyethylene Glycols; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D012254:Ribavirin / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects*
chemical_list: D000998:Antiviral Agents; D000077190:Interferon alpha-2; D016898:Interferon-alpha; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D011092:Polyethylene Glycols; D012254:Ribavirin; C417083:peginterferon alfa-2b