title: Interferon-associated retinopathy risk in patients with diabetes and hypertensive hepatitis C.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the association of hypertension and diabetes mellitus (DM) with interferon-associated retinopathy (IAR) risk in chronic hepatitis C (CHC).
  
  
  METHODS
  Two investigators independently searched PubMed and Embase for eligible articles published prior to December 2013; additional studies were identified by reviewing the bibliographies. Only case-control or cohort studies that evaluated the association between hypertension and/or DM and IAR incidence in CHC patients were included. IAR was characterized by the presence of cotton-wool spots and/or retinal hemorrhage, and was defined as the primary efficacy measure. Pooled relative risks (RRs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were estimated using data extracted from papers based on random-effects models.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Eight eligible studies were included in the present meta-analysis. The outcomes showed that patients with CHC and hypertension were at higher risk of IAR (48/189 vs 96/455, RR = 1.90; 95%CI: 1.15-3.15, P < 0.05). Patients with DM receiving interferon (IFN)-based therapy for CHC infection may be at higher risk for IAR (18/72 vs 60/256, RR = 1.56, 95%CI: 1.11-2.20, P < 0.05); however, the outcome was not stable. There was no significant difference in IAR risk between genotype-1-infected patients and non-genotype-1-infected patients (RR = 1.09, 95%CI: 0.64-1.87, P > 0.05). Comparable incidences of IAR were also found between patients treated with pegylated interferon (PIFN) α-2a and those treated with PIFN α-2b (RR = 0.84, 95%CI: 0.56-1.24, P > 0.05) and between patients treated with IFN α and those treated with PIFN α (RR = 1.04, 95%CI: 0.72-1.50, P > 0.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Patients with hypertension have a higher risk of retinopathy when receiving IFN-based therapy for CHC.
authors: Ji-Hua Xue, Hai-Hong Zhu, Jing Wang, Zhi Chen, State Key Laboratory for Diagnosis and Treatment of Infectious Diseases, Collaborative Innovation Center for Diagnosis and Treatment of Infectious Disease, the First Affiliated Hospital, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310003, Zhejiang Province, China.
authors: Ji-Hua
authors: JH
authors: Xue
authors: Ji-Hua Xue, Hai-Hong Zhu, Jing Wang, Zhi Chen, State Key Laboratory for Diagnosis and Treatment of Infectious Diseases, Collaborative Innovation Center for Diagnosis and Treatment of Infectious Disease, the First Affiliated Hospital, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310003, Zhejiang Province, China.
authors: Hai-Hong
authors: HH
authors: Zhu
authors: Ji-Hua Xue, Hai-Hong Zhu, Jing Wang, Zhi Chen, State Key Laboratory for Diagnosis and Treatment of Infectious Diseases, Collaborative Innovation Center for Diagnosis and Treatment of Infectious Disease, the First Affiliated Hospital, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310003, Zhejiang Province, China.
authors: Jing
authors: J
authors: Wang
authors: Ji-Hua Xue, Hai-Hong Zhu, Jing Wang, Zhi Chen, State Key Laboratory for Diagnosis and Treatment of Infectious Diseases, Collaborative Innovation Center for Diagnosis and Treatment of Infectious Disease, the First Affiliated Hospital, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310003, Zhejiang Province, China.
authors: Zhi
authors: Z
authors: Chen
mesh_terms: D000998:Antiviral Agents / Q000009:adverse effects*; D003920:Diabetes Mellitus / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology*; D003930:Diabetic Retinopathy / Q000453:epidemiology; D019698:Hepatitis C, Chronic / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000453:epidemiology; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology*; D058437:Hypertensive Retinopathy / Q000453:epidemiology; D015994:Incidence; D007372:Interferons / Q000009:adverse effects*; D012164:Retinal Diseases / Q000139:chemically induced* / Q000453:epidemiology; D018570:Risk Assessment; D012307:Risk Factors
chemical_list: D000998:Antiviral Agents; D007372:Interferons
keywords: Diabetes mellitus; Hepatitis C infection; Hypertension; Interferon; Interferon-associated retinopathy