Interferon-alpha induced transient thyroid dysfunction in hepatitis C
Fernández-Díez, S.; Rodríguez-Agulló, J.L.; Cascudo Rielo, M.J.; Navarro Angulo, N.; Díaz-Rubio, M.
Revista Espanola de Enfermedades Digestivas Organo Oficial de la Sociedad Espanola de Patologia Digestiva 94(3): 159-163
2002
ISSN/ISBN: 1130-0108 PMID: 12185880 Document Number: 545886
We report the case of thyroid dysfunction that developed in a 36-year-old female patient who required combination therapy with interferon and ribavirine for chronic hepatitis C. Firstly, she suffered a hyperthyroidism followed by a hypothyroidism stage requiring thyroxine replacement therapy. Nevertheless, combination treatment was not discontinued, reaching a sustained biochemical and virological response. The pathogenesis of autoimmune diseases in patients with Hepatitis C virus infection and interferon therapy is not clear, but usually these disorders are reversible and only require supervision and treatment if clinical or laboratory abnormalities are present.