Decrease in serum ferritin level in a patient with HCV hepatitis and liver hemosiderosis by interferon-alpha

We describe here a patient with chronic hepatitis C and liver hemosiderosis whose serum ferritin level was notably reduced by long-term interferon-alpha (IFN alpha) therapy. The decrease of the elevated serum ferritin level was considered to have been mostly obtained by the improvement of liver dysfunction. However, at the beginning of the therapy, in spite of alanine aminotransferase (ALT) improvement, his serum ferritin level increased transiently, and after cessation of IFN alpha therapy, the serum ALT increased again, but the serum ferritin had not increased. This indicates that IFN alpha has an effect on the iron-related measurement, partly due to improvement of hepatic status.