title: Rheumatoid arthritis following a treatment with IFN-alpha/ribavirin against HCV infection.
abstract: We report a 48-year-old man who developed rheumatoid arthritis (RA) after a successful treatment with peg-IFN-alpha plus ribavirin for chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection. He had a history of smoking and a single copy of the HLA-DRB1 shared epitope (SE). In a retrospective analysis, he exhibited the anti-CCP antibodies before the start of IFN plus ribavirin treatment. However, the titers of anti-CCP antibodies and BAFF levels were elevated by the IFN plus ribavirin therapy. These observations suggest that IFN plus ribavirin therapy may work as a "trigger" for RA in genetically and environmentally predisposed individuals by affecting the cytokine network.
authors.affiliation: Department of Rheumatology, NHO Nagasaki Medical Center, Japan.
authors.forename: Yasumori
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Izumi
authors.forename: Atsumasa
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Komori
authors.forename: Yuki
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Yasunaga
authors.forename: Satoru
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Hashimoto
authors.forename: Taiichiro
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Miyashita
authors.forename: Seigo
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Abiru
authors.forename: Hiroshi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Yatsuhashi
authors.forename: Hiromi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Ishibashi
authors.forename: Kiyoshi
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Migita
mesh_terms: D000998:Antiviral Agents / Q000009:adverse effects*; D001172:Arthritis, Rheumatoid / Q000209:etiology* / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology; D001323:Autoantibodies / Q000097:blood; D053264:B-Cell Activating Factor / Q000097:blood; D016207:Cytokines / Q000378:metabolism; D019698:Hepatitis C, Chronic / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000276:immunology; D006801:Humans; D007370:Interferon Type I / Q000009:adverse effects*; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010456:Peptides, Cyclic / Q000276:immunology; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D012254:Ribavirin / Q000009:adverse effects*; D012307:Risk Factors
chemical_list: D000998:Antiviral Agents; D001323:Autoantibodies; D053264:B-Cell Activating Factor; D016207:Cytokines; D007370:Interferon Type I; D010456:Peptides, Cyclic; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; C505719:TNFSF13B protein, human; C487763:cyclic citrullinated peptide; D012254:Ribavirin