Histological evaluation of liver in two rheumatoid arthritis patients with chronic hepatitis B and C treated with TNF-alpha blockade: case reports.
Tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-alpha antagonists successfully modulate the pathogenesis of rheumatoid arthritis (RA). However, little is known about the effect of TNF-alpha blockade on the histology of chronic viral hepatitis. We describe the cases of two patients with RA, one with concurrent chronic hepatitis B virus and the other with hepatitis C virus infection who, as part of their evaluation, underwent liver biopsies while undergoing treatment with a TNF-alpha antagonist.
Department of Medicine, Temple University School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA 19140, USA. primal.kaur@tuhs.temple.edu
Primal P
PP
Kaur
Virginia C
VC
Chan
Steven N
SN
Berney
D000328:Adult; D000998:Antiviral Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001172:Arthritis, Rheumatoid / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy*; D000068800:Etanercept; D006509:Hepatitis B / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000473:pathology*; D006526:Hepatitis C / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000473:pathology*; D006801:Humans; D007074:Immunoglobulin G / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D018124:Receptors, Tumor Necrosis Factor / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors*
D000998:Antiviral Agents; D007074:Immunoglobulin G; D018124:Receptors, Tumor Necrosis Factor; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha; D000068800:Etanercept