title: Polyethylene glycol interferon alpha-2b-induced immune-mediated polyradiculoneuropathy.
abstract: Polyethylene glycol-interferon alpha (PEG-IFNalpha) has been used as the standard treatment for hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection. There have been no previous reports of polyradiculoneuropathy with anti-ganglioside antibodies induced by PEG-IFNalpha-2b. We report a 59-year-old man who developed polyradiculoneuropathy during treatment with PEG-IFN alpha-2b for chronic HCV infection. Serum levels of anti-asialo-GM1 (GA1) and anti-GM1 antibodies were elevated. Cessation of therapy with double filtration plasmapheresis resulted in marked improvement in his symptoms accompanied by a reduction in the antibody level. PEG-IFN alpha-2b may induce peripheral neuropathy mediated by anti-GA1 and anti-GM1 antibodies.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology and Neurobiology of Aging, Kanazawa University Graduate School of Medical Science, Kanazawa. yukokato@med.kanazawa-u.ac.jp
authors.forename: Yuko
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Kato-Motozaki
authors.forename: Kiyonobu
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Komai
authors.forename: Kazuya
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Takahashi
authors.forename: Chiho
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Ishida
authors.forename: Masami
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ueda
authors.forename: Susumu
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kusunoki
authors.forename: Masahito
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Yamada