Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 30, 2026

Identifying Dysregulated Genes Induced by Kaposi's Sarcoma-associated Herpesvirus (KSHV)
Published on: September 14, 2010
Vogt-Koyanagi-Harada disease associated with interferon alpha-2b/ribavirin combination therapy
D L Sylvestre1, A R Disston, D P Bui
1Department of Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA. dsylves@itsa.ucsf.edu
Abstract:
The complex immunological effects of interferon and ribavirin therapy (IFN/R) in hepatitis C virus (HCV) may also exacerbate or trigger the de novo development of autoimmunity. We report the first case of IFN/R therapy associated with Vogt-Koyanagi-Harada disease, a T-cell-mediated autoimmune response to melanocytes. This condition, which has characteristic ocular, neurological and integumentary findings, elicits a systemic prodrome that may mimic side-effect profile and delay of IFN or mask its recognition. We discuss this disease in the context of the known immunomodulatory effects of IFN-alpha and ribavirin and suggest potential mechanistic explanations for the association.
Related Concept Videos
Cytomegalovirus Disease
Viral Hepatitis I: Introduction
Inhibitors of Viral Protein Synthesis
Hepatitis
Immunodeficiency Diseases
There are three main causes of immunodeficiency disorders...
Diseases of the Liver and Gallbladder
Cirrhosis is characterized by the scarring of hepatic lobules in the liver, which are replaced by fibrous tissue, affecting the liver's normal functioning. NAFLD, on the other hand, is caused by an excessive build-up of fat in the liver, not related to...