title: Thyroid disorders in patients with chronic hepatitis C using interferon-alpha and ribavirin therapy.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the frequency of thyroid disorders (TD) in patients with chronic hepatitis C before and during interferon-alpha (IFN-α) and ribavirin (RIB) treatment.
  
  
  METHODS
  Prospective study.
  
  
  METHODS
  We prospectively studied 65 anti-HCV and viral RNA positive patients. Free thyroxine, thyroid-stimulating hormone, and thyroid peroxidase antibodies (TPO-Ab) were systematically tested at entry (m0), week 12 (m3) and week 24 (m6) of treatment.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Mean age of the 65 patients (38 females and 27 males) was 49.61 ± 11.83 years. Seven (10.76%) patients presented baseline thyroid disorders (m0), three had thyroid dysfunction, and four were TPO-Ab positive. Thyroid disorders occurred in the first 12 weeks of treatment in 11 (16.92%) patients, four with thyroid dysfunction, and seven with TPO-Ab positive (m3). A total of 18 patients (27.69%) developed TD after 24 weeks of treatment, 7 with thyroid dysfunction, and 11 with TPO-Ab positive (m6). The relative risk of developing hypothyroidism found in this study was 1.3 (95% CI: 1.1 to 1.6), hyperthyroidism 1.2 (95% CI: 1.1 to 1.4), and TPO-Ab positivity 7.6 (95% CI: 3.9 to 14.5). The study showed a significant association between female sex and thyroid disease (p = 0.009).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Thyroid dysfunction and autoimmune TD were observed during IFN-α and RIB therapy.
authors.affiliation: School of Medicine, Universidade Estadual de Santa Cruz, BA, Brazil. luis_jesuino@yahoo.com.br
authors.forename: Luis Jesuino de Oliveira
authors.initials: LJ
authors.lastname: Andrade
authors.forename: Ajax Mercês
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Atta
authors.forename: Maria Luiza Brito de Sousa
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Atta
authors.forename: Célia Neder Kalil
authors.initials: CN
authors.lastname: Mangabeira
authors.forename: Raymundo
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Paraná
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000998:Antiviral Agents / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D005260:Female; D019698:Hepatitis C, Chronic / Q000188:drug therapy*; D006801:Humans; D016898:Interferon-alpha / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012254:Ribavirin / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D013959:Thyroid Diseases / Q000139:chemically induced* / Q000175:diagnosis; D013960:Thyroid Function Tests; D013997:Time Factors
chemical_list: D000998:Antiviral Agents; D016898:Interferon-alpha; D012254:Ribavirin