Acute hepatitis induced by α-interferon, associated with viral clearance, in chronic hepatitis C

• Published in: Journal of hepatology Vol. 27; no. 6; pp. 1113 - 1116
• Main Authors: Cervoni, Jean-Paul, Degos, Françoise, Marcellin, Patrick, Erlinger, Serge
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Oxford Elsevier B.V 01.12.1997; Elsevier
• Subjects: Acute Disease; Adult; Autoimmune hepatitis; Biological and medical sciences; Chemical and Drug Induced Liver Injury - etiology; Chronic Disease; Drug toxicity and drugs side effects treatment; Female; Hepatitis C - therapy; Hepatitis C virus; Humans; Interferon; Interferon alpha-2; Interferon-alpha - adverse effects; Male; Medical sciences; Middle Aged; Pharmacology. Drug treatments; Recombinant Proteins; Toxicity: digestive system; Hepatitis C virus; Interferon; Autoimmune hepatitis; Human; Drug; Iatrogenic; Alpha interferon; Toxicity; Acute; Hepatic disease; Autoimmune disease; Pharmacovigilance; Infection; Case study; Hepatitis; Chronic; Treatment; Viral disease; Immunotherapy; Digestive diseases; Complication; Viral hepatitis C
• ISSN: 0168-8278; 1600-0641
• DOI: 10.1016/S0168-8278(97)80157-2

We describe the cases of two patients with chronic hepatitis C who developed acute hepatitis with marked amino-transferase elevations and jaundice 3 and 5 months after initiation of interferon treatment. Hepatitis resolved rapidly after cessation of interferon. No autoantibodies were detected. Hepatitis was followed by viral clearance, demonstrated by clearance of hepatitis C viraemia. We propose that hepatitis may be due to an immune lysis of hepatocytes and suggest that this immune response may contribute to viral clearance.