Interstitial pneumonitis associated with pegylated interferon a-2b therapy for chronic hepatitis C: Case report

R Carrillo-Esper, D González-Avila… - Annals of …, 2008 - medigraphic.com
R Carrillo-Esper, D González-Avila, M Uribe-Ríos, N Méndez-S
Annals of Hepatology, 2008medigraphic.com
Since 2004, pegylated interferon (P-IFN) in combination with ribavirin has become the
optimal choice of therapy for chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection. IFN a-2b suppresses
HCV replication and restores elevated serum aminotransferase levels, leading to
improvements in the histological changes in the livers of patients with chronic hepatitis C. 1
Unfortunately, P-IFN has several adverse effects, including pneumonitis. This complication
has been reported in the treatment of malignant diseases and CHC. 2 We report a patient …
Since 2004, pegylated interferon (P-IFN) in combination with ribavirin has become the optimal choice of therapy for chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection. IFN a-2b suppresses HCV replication and restores elevated serum aminotransferase levels, leading to improvements in the histological changes in the livers of patients with chronic hepatitis C. 1 Unfortunately, P-IFN has several adverse effects, including pneumonitis. This complication has been reported in the treatment of malignant diseases and CHC. 2 We report a patient with interstitial pneumonitis thought to be caused by an IFN-based treatment in an unusual scenario of a patient with HCV-related Child–Pugh stage A cirrhosis, who experienced dyspnea, fever, and cough after 12 months of treatment with P-IFN a-2b. Her lung injury and pulmonary symptoms did not disappear despite discontinuation of IFN and the administration of corticosteroid. We concluded that the patient developed a fatal interstitial pneumonitis associated with P-INF a-2b therapy.
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