Thyroid disorders in patients with chronic hepatitis C using interferon-alpha and ribavirin therapy

Thyroid disorders in patients with chronic hepatitis C using interferon-alpha and ribavirin therapy

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the frequency of thyroid disorders (TD) in patients with chronic hepatitis C before and during interferon-alpha (IFN-α) and ribavirin (RIB) treatment. STUDY DESIGN: Prospective study. PATIENTS AND METHODS: We prospectively studied 65 anti-HCV and viral RNA positive patients...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Published in:The Brazilian journal of infectious diseases Vol. 15; no. 4; pp. 377 - 381
Main Authors: Andrade, Luis Jesuino de Oliveira, Atta, Ajax Mercês, Atta, Maria Luiza Brito de Sousa, Mangabeira, Célia Neder Kalil, Paraná, Raymundo
Format: Journal Article
Language:English
Published: Brazilian Society of Infectious Diseases 01-08-2011
Elsevier
Subjects:
autoimmunity
hepatitis C
INFECTIOUS DISEASES
interferon-alpha
ribavirin
thyroid diseases
interferon-alpha
ribavirin
thyroid diseases
autoimmunity
hepatitis C
Online Access:Get full text
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
Description
Summary:OBJECTIVE: To investigate the frequency of thyroid disorders (TD) in patients with chronic hepatitis C before and during interferon-alpha (IFN-α) and ribavirin (RIB) treatment. STUDY DESIGN: Prospective study. PATIENTS AND METHODS: We prospectively studied 65 anti-HCV and viral RNA positive patients. Free thyroxine, thyroid-stimulating hormone, and thyroid peroxidase antibodies (TPO-Ab) were systematically tested at entry (m0), week 12 (m3) and week 24 (m6) of treatment. RESULTS: Mean age of the 65 patients (38 females and 27 males) was 49.61 ± 11.83 years. Seven (10.76%) patients presented baseline thyroid disorders (m0), three had thyroid dysfunction, and four were TPO-Ab positive. Thyroid disorders occurred in the first 12 weeks of treatment in 11 (16.92%) patients, four with thyroid dysfunction, and seven with TPO-Ab positive (m3). A total of 18 patients (27.69%) developed TD after 24 weeks of treatment, 7 with thyroid dysfunction, and 11 with TPO-Ab positive (m6). The relative risk of developing hypothyroidism found in this study was 1.3 (95% CI: 1.1 to 1.6), hyperthyroidism 1.2 (95% CI: 1.1 to 1.4), and TPO-Ab positivity 7.6 (95% CI: 3.9 to 14.5). The study showed a significant association between female sex and thyroid disease (p = 0.009). CONCLUSION: Thyroid dysfunction and autoimmune TD were observed during IFN-α and RIB therapy.
ISSN:1413-8670
1678-4391
DOI:10.1590/S1413-86702011000400013