title: Unmasking of myasthenia gravis during pegylated Alfa 2 a interferon and ribavirin therapy for chronic hepatitis C.
abstract: Over last few decades, hepatitis C has emerged as a serious infection that has threatened the health and budgets of millions in the world. The objective of health professionals to treat it with recommended therapy of Alfa interferon and Ribavirin combination presents certain risks. One of the alarms is the ability of interferon to stimulate the production of autoantibodies in the body resulting in expression of autoimmune diseases in few who develop these antibodies. The case presented here is about unmasking of myasthenia gravis in a patient who received alfa interferon therapy for her chronic hepatitis C. Alfa interferon probably plays an important role in manifestation of the diseases in susceptible patients and all autoimmune diseases cannot be taken as mere side effects of the therapy. Clinicians need to be alert to pick up these diseases earlier so that the prompt management is possible.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, Khan Research Laboratories, Islamabad, Pakistan.
authors.forename: Ayesha
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Saleem
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000998:Antiviral Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D004359:Drug Therapy, Combination; D005260:Female; D019698:Hepatitis C, Chronic / Q000150:complications* / Q000188:drug therapy*; D006801:Humans; D016898:Interferon-alpha / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D009157:Myasthenia Gravis / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis*; D012254:Ribavirin / Q000627:therapeutic use*
chemical_list: D000998:Antiviral Agents; D016898:Interferon-alpha; D012254:Ribavirin
keywords: Autoimmune diseases, Chronic active hepatitis C, Alfa interferon therapy.