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Autoimmunity during alpha-interferon therapy for chronic hepatitis C

  • Therapy
  • HCV
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Summary

One hundred twenty-five patients with chronic hepatitis C were treated with natural IFNα or recombinant IFNα-2a, daily doses of 3 MU or 9MU, respectively. IFNs were given 6 times a week for the first 2 weeks followed by thrice weekly administration for 12 weeks or more. ANA, TMA, AMA and anti-DNA antibody newly developed in 8, 1, 2 and 1 patient, respectively. Furthermore, we encountered some cases in which underlying autoimmune disorders were throught to be exacerbated by IFNs. It is important to pay sufficient attention to the development of autoimmune diseases in IFN therapy for chronic hepatitis C.

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Yoshikawa, M., Sakamoto, T., MitorO, A. et al. Autoimmunity during alpha-interferon therapy for chronic hepatitis C. Gastroenterol Jpn 28 (Suppl 5), 109–114 (1993). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02989219

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