Antiplatelet antibodies in patients with chronic viral hepatitis receiving interferon-alpha.
OBJECTIVE
The aim of this study was to investigate the possible role of interferon-alpha in the development of antiplatelet IgG antibodies in patients with chronic viral hepatitis B or C.


METHODS
Ninety-one consecutive patients with chronic viral hepatitis (51 with chronic hepatitis B and 40 with chronic hepatitis C) were investigated for the presence of antiplatelet IgG antibodies in their serum immediately prior to IFN-alpha therapy and after six months of therapy. The method used was the solid phase red cell adherence test (Immucor, Norcross, USA), which is a sensitive tracer of antiplatelet antibodies. Some of the results were confirmed using an indirect immunofluorescence test for the detection of antiplatelet antibodies


RESULTS
Overall, we found that antiplatelet antibodies were present in 37.54% (19/51) of patients with chronic hepatitis B before IFN-alpha therapy and in 35.29% (18/51) after therapy. Moreover, antiplatelet antibodies were found in 20% (8/40) of patients with chronic hepatitis C before and after IFN-alpha therapy.


CONCLUSIONS
Therapy with IFN-alpha did not induce antiplatelet antibodies in patients with chronic viral hepatitis B or C. Thrombocytopenia observed during IFN-alpha therapy in our study was not due to the development of antiplatelet antibodies.
Christodoulou
Dimitrios
D
1st Department of Internal Medicine, Hepato-Gastroenterology Unit, Medical School, University of Ioannina, Greece.
Christou
Leonidas
L
Zervou
Eleftheria
E
Katsanos
Konstantinos
K
Kitsanou
Margarita
M
Tsianos
Epameinondas V
EV
D000328:Adult; D000906:Antibodies / Q000737:chemistry*; D001323:Autoantibodies / Q000097:blood; D001792:Blood Platelets / Q000276:immunology*; D002448:Cell Adhesion; D005260:Female; D019084:Fluorescent Antibody Technique, Indirect; D006509:Hepatitis B / Q000276:immunology* / Q000628:therapy; D006526:Hepatitis C / Q000276:immunology*; D006525:Hepatitis, Viral, Human / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans; D007074:Immunoglobulin G / Q000737:chemistry*; D016898:Interferon-alpha / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D013154:Spleen / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D013921:Thrombocytopenia / Q000209:etiology; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014463:Ultrasonography
D000906:Antibodies; D001323:Autoantibodies; D007074:Immunoglobulin G; D016898:Interferon-alpha