Interferon Therapy Exacerbated Pulmonary Hypertension in a Patient with Hepatitis C Virus Infection: Pathogenic
Hiromi Tsuchiya1,2, Hidetaka Kioka1, Kentaro Ozu1
1Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, Osaka University Graduate School of Medicine, Japan.
Abstract:
Pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) is known to develop as a consequence of multiple genetic and/or non-genetic factors. A 27-year-old woman with chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection developed severe PAH after interferon (IFN) therapy. Although most of the reported clinical courses of IFN-induced PAH are poor despite the discontinuation of IFN, the present patient was successfully treated with a triple combination therapy. In this report, we discuss the crosstalk among chronic HCV infection, IFN therapy, autoimmune disorders, and portal hypertension in the pathogenesis and development of PAH.
Related Concept Videos
Treatment for Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension: Receptor Tyrosine Kinase Inhibitors and Calcium Channel Blockers
TKIs, such as imatinib (Gleevec), are particularly effective in tackling the growth and mitogenic factors that become upregulated in PAH patients. These factors contribute to the...
Effect of Hepatic Disease on Pharmacokinetics: Drug Dosing and Hepatic Blood Flow
Pulmonary Hypertension: Classification and Pathogenesis
There are various classifications for PH, each relating to different underlying causes and also...
Treatment for Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension: Endothelin Receptor Antagonists
ETs are synthesized through a complex sequence of enzymatic steps, primarily involving an enzyme referred to as endothelin-converting enzyme...
Treatment for Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension: Prostacyclin Receptor Agonists
These agonists bind to the IPR receptor situated on the plasma membrane of the pulmonary artery smooth muscle cells. This binding triggers a cascade of reactions known as the GS-AC-cAMP-PKA pathway. This pathway results in the relaxation of smooth muscle...
Treatment for Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension: Phosphodiesterase Inhibitors
Among the PDE5 inhibitors, sildenafil (Revatio) stands out as a competitive and selective inhibitor. It operates by elevating cellular levels of cGMP and augmenting signaling through the cGMP-PKG pathway, promoting vasodilation. Upon oral...


