title: Abrupt onset of type 1 diabetes mellitus during recombinant interferon-alpha 2b therapy in a patient with chronic hepatitis B.
abstract: We describe a case of a 33-year-old female patient with chronic hepatitis B who developed type 1 diabetes mellitus (DM) after a 13-mo period of treatment with recombinant human interferon-alpha (IFN-alpha) 2b. The patient presented with polydipsia, polyuria, hyperglycemia, diabetic ketoacidosis, combined with C-peptide secretion deficiency and positive islet cell autoantibody (ICAb). IFN-alpha 2b treatment was terminated and instead insulin treatment was initiated. Five months after cessation of the recombinant human IFN-alpha 2b therapy, the patient remained insulin-dependent. Her serum HBV DNA became negative and serum transaminase returned to the normal level after a 10-mo period of IFN therapy. Type 1 DM induced by IFN-alpha is relatively rare in patients with chronic hepatitis B. We should pay more attention to patients on IFN-alpha therapy to avoid destruction of pancreatic beta cells. This is the first case report from China.
authors.affiliation: Department of Endocrinology, First Affiliated Hospital, Medical School of Xi'an Jiaotong University, 277 Yanta West Road, Xi'an, Shaanxi Province, China.
authors.forename: Yuan-Yuan
authors.initials: YY
authors.lastname: Lv
authors.forename: Bing-Yin
authors.initials: BY
authors.lastname: Shi
authors.forename: Hui
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Guo
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D002681:China; D003922:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 1 / Q000139:chemically induced* / Q000175:diagnosis; D005260:Female; D019694:Hepatitis B, Chronic / Q000188:drug therapy*; D006801:Humans; D000077190:Interferon alpha-2; D016898:Interferon-alpha / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D011994:Recombinant Proteins / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D012307:Risk Factors
chemical_list: D000077190:Interferon alpha-2; D016898:Interferon-alpha; D011994:Recombinant Proteins