title: Efficacy of pegylated interferon plus ribavirin in combination with corticosteroid for two cases of combined hepatitis C and autoimmune hepatitis.
abstract: The treatment strategy for cases of combined autoimmune hepatitis (AIH) and chronic hepatitis C (CHC) has not yet been established. A 47-year-old woman and a 53-year-old-woman were hospitalized for treatment of CHC. Ultrasonography and histological findings revealed that their liver was not cirrhotic but did have chronic damage. The histological findings of both patients were suggestive of AIH. The patients were systematically treated with pegylated interferon-alpha 2b plus ribavirin which was preceded by and combined with corticosteroid (CS), and showed sustained virological responses and normal liver function. Although these two patients with combined AIH and CHC were successfully treated with this regimen, careful attention to exacerbation of hepatic inflammation is needed because hepatitis C viral load was increased due to immunosuppression during CS treatment.
authors.forename: Satoshi
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Oeda
authors.forename: Toshihiko
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Mizuta
authors.forename: Hiroshi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Isoda
authors.forename: Takuya
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kuwashiro
authors.forename: Noriko
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Oza
authors.forename: Shinji
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Iwane
authors.forename: Hirokazu
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Takahashi
authors.forename: Yasunori
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Kawaguchi
authors.forename: Yuichiro
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Eguchi
authors.forename: Shuji
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Toda
authors.forename: Iwata
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Ozaki
authors.forename: Keizo
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Anzai
authors.forename: Kazuma
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Fujimoto