Onset of Tuberculosis from a Pulmonary Latent Tuberculosis Infection during Antiviral Triple Therapy for Chronic Hepatitis C

• Published in: Internal Medicine Vol. 55; no. 15; pp. 2011 - 2017
• Main Authors: Matsuoka, Shunichi, Fujikawa, Hirotoshi, Hasegawa, Hiromasa, Ochiai, Takanaga, Watanabe, Yukinobu, Moriyama, Mitsuhiko
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Japan The Japanese Society of Internal Medicine 01.01.2016
• Subjects: Antiviral Agents - therapeutic use; chronic hepatitis C; Drug Therapy, Combination; epithelioid cell granuloma; Hepatitis B virus; Hepatitis C virus; Hepatitis C, Chronic - drug therapy; Humans; interferon; Interferon-alpha - therapeutic use; Latent Tuberculosis - drug therapy; Latent Tuberculosis - pathology; Male; Mycobacterium; Oligopeptides - therapeutic use; Polyethylene Glycols - administration & dosage; pulmonary tuberculosis; Ribavirin - therapeutic use; Treatment Outcome
• ISSN: 0918-2918; 1349-7235
• DOI: 10.2169/internalmedicine.55.6448

A 62-year-old man was diagnosed with the onset of tuberculosis (Tb) from a pulmonary latent tuberculosis infection (LTBI) during triple therapy with pegylated interferon α2a, ribavirin, and telaprevir for a chronic hepatitis C infection in 2013 before interferon (IFN)-free anti-viral therapy was introduced in Japan. A liver biopsy before IFN treatment revealed the presence of epithelioid cell granulomas (ECGs). IFN may also be employed for chronic hepatitis B infection and malignant tumors, thus, special attention must be paid to the development of Tb from a LTBI when ECGs are observed before treatment. It is also necessary to review the significance of the liver biopsy.