Pneumonitis associated with natural and recombinant interferon alfa therapy for chronic hepatitis C

• Published in: Chest Vol. 105; no. 3; p. 939
• Main Authors: Chin, K, Tabata, C, Sataka, N, Nagai, S, Moriyasu, F, Kuno, K
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States 01-03-1994
• Subjects: Aged; Female; Hepatitis C - therapy; Hepatitis, Chronic - therapy; Humans; Injections, Intramuscular; Interferon Type I - administration & dosage; Interferon Type I - adverse effects; Interferon Type I - therapeutic use; Interferon-alpha - administration & dosage; Interferon-alpha - adverse effects; Interferon-alpha - therapeutic use; Male; Middle Aged; Pneumonia - diagnostic imaging; Pneumonia - etiology; Radiography; Recombinant Proteins; Respiratory Insufficiency - etiology
• ISSN: 0012-3692
• DOI: 10.1378/chest.105.3.939

We report three cases of chronic hepatitis C (HC) with pneumonitis, suspected to be caused by natural and recombinant interferon (INF) alfa treatments. The patients were administered INF through intramuscular injection. All three patients developed acute respiratory failure (PaO2 < or = 60 mm Hg) with bilateral lung infiltration. One of the patient's condition improved after the cessation of INF treatment, without any other therapy. The other two patients were administered corticosteroids, and one patient's condition improved, while in the other patient the pneumonitis persisted, even after a high dose of corticosteroids. To our knowledge, these three cases are the first report of pneumonitis associated with INF alfa in patients with chronic HC.