title: Reversible pulmonary arterial hypertension associated with interferon-beta treatment for multiple sclerosis.
abstract: Interferon (IFN) therapy has an important role in the treatment of multiple sclerosis and chronic hepatitis C infection. A few case reports have described an association between IFN therapy and the development of irreversible pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH), and it is currently listed as a possible drug-induced cause of PAH in the most recent classification of pulmonary hypertension. A causal link between IFN use and PAH remains to be elucidated; many reports of PAH resulting from IFN occur in individuals with some other risk factor for PAH. The authors present a case involving a patient with multiple sclerosis with no known risk factors for PAH, who developed severe PAH after exposure to IFN therapy. The patient experienced significant clinical and hemodynamic improvement, with normalization of her pulmonary pressures after the initiation of combination therapy for PAH. At 28 months after diagnosis, she remains asymptomatic with no hemodynamic evidence of PAH and has been off all PAH therapy for 10 months.
authors.forename: Emma
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Gibbons
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Promislow
authors.forename: Ross A
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: Davies
authors.forename: George
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Chandy
authors.forename: Duncan J
authors.initials: DJ
authors.lastname: Stewart
authors.forename: Contreras-Dominguez
authors.initials: CD
authors.lastname: Vladamir
authors.forename: Carolyn
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Pugliese
authors.forename: Rosemary
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Dunne
authors.forename: Lisa M
authors.initials: LM
authors.lastname: Mielniczuk
mesh_terms: D000959:Antihypertensive Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D004359:Drug Therapy, Combination; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006976:Hypertension, Pulmonary / Q000139:chemically induced* / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy; D007155:Immunologic Factors / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D016899:Interferon-beta / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D008875:Middle Aged; D009103:Multiple Sclerosis / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy*; D010666:Phenylpropionates / Q000627:therapeutic use; D011724:Pyridazines / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000068581:Tadalafil / Q000627:therapeutic use
chemical_list: D000959:Antihypertensive Agents; D007155:Immunologic Factors; D010666:Phenylpropionates; D011724:Pyridazines; D000068581:Tadalafil; D016899:Interferon-beta; C467894:ambrisentan