Exacerbation of Ulcerative Colitis during Alpha-Interferon Therapy for Chronic Hepatitis C

• Published in: Internal Medicine Vol. 32; no. 4; pp. 327 - 331
• Main Authors: MITORO, Akira, YOSHIKAWA, Masahide, YAMAMOTO, Kouji, MIMURA, Mayumi, YOSHIKAWA, Yoshitsugu, SHIROI, Akira, MOCHI, Tadao, SAKAMOTO, Takemi, YAMAO, Junichi, KIKUCHI, Eiryou, FUKUI, Hiroshi, TSUJII, Tadasu
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Tokyo The Japanese Society of Internal Medicine 1993; Japanese Society of Internal Medicine
• Subjects: Adult; Autoimmune Diseases - chemically induced; Autoimmune Diseases - prevention & control; autoimmune disorders; Biological and medical sciences; Chronic Disease; Colitis, Ulcerative - chemically induced; Colitis, Ulcerative - prevention & control; Drug toxicity and drugs side effects treatment; Hepatitis C - drug therapy; Humans; Interferon Type I - adverse effects; Interferon Type I - therapeutic use; Male; Medical sciences; Pharmacology. Drug treatments; Recombinant Proteins; sulfasalazine; Sulfasalazine - therapeutic use; Toxicity: digestive system; Infection; Case study; Human; Chronic; Treatment; Alpha interferon; Viral disease; Digestive diseases; Hepatic disease; Intestinal disease; Viral hepatitis C; Ulcerative colitis
• ISSN: 0918-2918; 1349-7235
• DOI: 10.2169/internalmedicine.32.327

We report a 34-year-old man with chronic hepatitis C who showed exacerbation of ulcerative colitis during alpha-interferon (IFNα) therapy. Discontinuance of the IFNα therapy improved his symptoms, suggesting that IFNα administration might worsen ulcerative colitis. The administration of sulfasalazine allowed the patient to receive IFNα again without flare-up of ulcerative colitis. This case suggests the possible efficacy of sulfasalazine therapy in patients with ulcerative colitis complicated by some other diseases requiring IFNα administration. (Internal Medicine 32: 327-331, 1993)