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Published on: September 25, 2019
Thyroid dysfunction in antiviral therapy of chronic hepatitis C
Magdalena M Dabrowska1, Anatol Panasiuk, Robert Flisiak
1Department of Infectious Diseases and Hepatology, Medical University of Bialystok, 14 Zurawia Str, 15-540 Bialystok, Poland.
Thyroid disorders are common in chronic hepatitis C (HCV) patients undergoing interferon-alpha (IFN-alpha) therapy. This study found a low impact of IFN-alpha on thyroid disorder development and antibody levels in these patients.
Area of Science:
- Hepatology
- Endocrinology
- Immunology
Background:
- Thyroid dysfunctions are frequently observed in patients with chronic hepatitis C (HCV) during interferon-alpha (IFN-alpha) therapy.
- Understanding the risk factors and outcomes of these thyroid disorders is crucial for patient management.
Purpose of the Study:
- To assess the overall risk of developing thyroid disorders in chronic HCV patients.
- To investigate the relationship between thyroid disorders and HCV genotype, IFN-alpha type, and viral response.
Main Methods:
- A cohort of 89 chronic HCV patients treated with IFN-alpha and RBV was studied.
- Thyroid function tests, hematological parameters, and thyroid autoantibodies (Tpo-Ab, TG-Ab) were analyzed.
- Statistical analysis included Mann-Whitney U and Spearman correlation tests.
Main Results:
- 13.5% of patients developed thyroid disorders during IFN-alpha therapy, more frequently in females and those with genotype 3a.
- Patients treated with natural leukocyte IFN-alpha showed a higher incidence of thyroid disorders.
- Seven patients (7.6%) were positive for Tpo-Ab and/or TG-Ab, with 57.1% developing hypothyroidism.
Conclusions:
- IFN-alpha therapy demonstrated a low effect on the development of thyroid disorders in chronic HCV patients.
- Serum levels of TPO-Ab and TG-Ab were not significantly impacted by IFN-alpha therapy.
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