New-Onset Type 1 Diabetes Mellitus and Anti-Aquaporin-4 Antibody Positive Optic Neuritis Associated with Type 1 Interferon Therapy for Chronic Hepatitis C

• Published in: Internal Medicine Vol. 51; no. 18; pp. 2625 - 2629
• Main Authors: Kawazoe, Tomoya, Araki, Manabu, Lin, Youwei, Ogawa, Masafumi, Okamoto, Tomoko, Yamamura, Takashi, Wakakura, Masato, Murata, Miho
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Japan The Japanese Society of Internal Medicine 01.01.2012
• Subjects: Antibodies, Anti-Idiotypic - blood; Antiviral Agents - adverse effects; Antiviral Agents - therapeutic use; Aquaporin 4 - immunology; aquaporin-4; chronic hepatitis C; Diabetes Mellitus, Type 1 - chemically induced; Diabetes Mellitus, Type 1 - diagnosis; Drug Synergism; Drug Therapy, Combination; Female; Hepatitis C, Chronic - drug therapy; Humans; Interferon Type I - adverse effects; Interferon Type I - therapeutic use; Interferon-alpha - adverse effects; Interferon-alpha - therapeutic use; Interferon-beta - adverse effects; Interferon-beta - therapeutic use; Middle Aged; neuromyelitis optica; Optic Neuritis - chemically induced; Optic Neuritis - diagnosis; Optic Neuritis - immunology; Ribavirin - therapeutic use; type 1 diabetes mellitus; type 1 interferon
• ISSN: 0918-2918; 1349-7235
• DOI: 10.2169/internalmedicine.51.7771

A 60-year-old woman developed type 1 diabetes mellitus and anti-aquaporin-4 antibody positive optic neuritis during type 1 interferon therapies for chronic hepatitis C. The diabetes mellitus was elicited by interferon-α plus ribavirin therapy, while the optic neuritis was induced after interferon-β treatment, followed by interferon-α and ribavirin therapy. It is possible that type 1 interferons lead to the onset of the two autoimmune diseases by inducing disease-specific autoantibodies. Autoimmune disease is an infrequent complication of type 1 interferon treatment; however, once it has occurred, it may result in severe impairments. Patients undergoing type 1 interferon therapy should therefore be carefully monitored for any manifestations of autoimmune diseases.