title: Onset of type 1 diabetes mellitus during peginterferon alpha-2b plus ribavirin treatment for chronic hepatitis C.
abstract: A 61-year-old man was observed to develop type 1 diabetes mellitus following a 3-month treatment with recombinant alpha-2b peginterferon combined with ribavirin for chronic hepatitis C. Serum samples, collected before the start of therapy and 2 months after the diagnosis of diabetes mellitus, revealed islet-cell antibodies at a titer of 20 and 40 JDF-U, respectively, and glutamic acid decarboxylase autoantibodies at a value of 76.5 and 196 IU/ml, respectively. Antibodies to second islet autoantigen were persistently negative. HLA class II typing revealed the presence of DRB1*04/DRB1*14, DQA1*0303-0104 and DQB1*04-0503 alleles. Eight months after the onset of type 1 diabetes mellitus, the patient is still receiving 30 IU insulin daily; the liver function tests are normal and serum hepatitis C virus RNA is negative. These data confirm that, in patients with potential diabetes mellitus, the disease may become manifest as a side-effect during therapy with peginterferon-alpha plus ribavirin. The patient as a candidate for interferon treatment should therefore be investigated, in addition to thyroid autoimmunity, also for pancreatic autoantibodies before starting therapy.
authors.affiliation: Divisione di Gastroenterologia, Ospedale S. de Bellis, IRCCS, Castellana-Grotte, Bari, Italy. raffaelecln@virgilio.it
authors.forename: Raffaele
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Cozzolongo
authors.forename: Corrado
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Betterle
authors.forename: Paolo
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Fabris
authors.forename: Maria
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Paola Albergoni
authors.forename: Elsa
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Lanzilotta
authors.forename: Onofrio G
authors.initials: OG
authors.lastname: Manghisi
mesh_terms: D000998:Antiviral Agents / Q000009:adverse effects*; D015551:Autoimmunity / Q000276:immunology; D002908:Chronic Disease; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D003922:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 1 / Q000139:chemically induced*; D019698:Hepatitis C, Chronic / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000276:immunology; D006801:Humans; D000077190:Interferon alpha-2; D016898:Interferon-alpha / Q000009:adverse effects*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011092:Polyethylene Glycols; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D012254:Ribavirin / Q000627:therapeutic use; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D000998:Antiviral Agents; D000077190:Interferon alpha-2; D016898:Interferon-alpha; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D011092:Polyethylene Glycols; D012254:Ribavirin; C417083:peginterferon alfa-2b