Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 2, 2026

Preliminary Study on Acupuncture Combined with Grain-sized Moxibustion for Treating Rheumatoid Arthritis with Finger Joint Pain
Published on: May 16, 2025
Rheumatoid arthritis following a treatment with IFN-alpha/ribavirin against HCV infection
Yasumori Izumi1, Atsumasa Komori, Yuki Yasunaga
1Department of Rheumatology, NHO Nagasaki Medical Center, Japan.
Abstract:
We report a 48-year-old man who developed rheumatoid arthritis (RA) after a successful treatment with peg-IFN-alpha plus ribavirin for chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection. He had a history of smoking and a single copy of the HLA-DRB1 shared epitope (SE). In a retrospective analysis, he exhibited the anti-CCP antibodies before the start of IFN plus ribavirin treatment. However, the titers of anti-CCP antibodies and BAFF levels were elevated by the IFN plus ribavirin therapy. These observations suggest that IFN plus ribavirin therapy may work as a "trigger" for RA in genetically and environmentally predisposed individuals by affecting the cytokine network.
Related Concept Videos
Hepatitis
Drugs for Treatment of Crohn's Disease in IBD Using Biologic Agents: Anti-TNF
Inhibitors of Viral Protein Synthesis
Viral Hepatitis I: Introduction
Drugs for Treatment of Crohn's Disease in IBD Using Immunomodulatory Agents
Rheumatic Heart Disease I: Introduction
