Jialiang Duan1, Yang Wang2, Danyan Liu1, Jingxue Ma1. 1. a Department of Ophthalmology , The Second Hospital of Hebei Medical University , Shijiazhuang , China. 2. b Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery , The Third Hospital of Hebei Medical University , Shijiazhuang , China.
Abstract
PURPOSE: To describe a case of Vogt-Koyanagi-Harada disease (VKH) presenting in a hepatitis C patient after interferon-alpha (IFN-α) and ribavirin treatment. METHODS: A retrospective review of our patient and a review of the published literature. RESULTS: A 59 year-old man developed VKH after the four months of IFN-α and ribavirin therapy for hepatitis C. The patient's VKH was controlled by systemic corticosteroids. The relationship between VKH and IFN-α is discussed based on the published literature. CONCLUSIONS: VKH is a rare autoimmune complication triggered by interferon-alpha therapy; the T-cell modulatory properties of IFN-α possibly contribute to this association. Early diagnosis of VKH and aggressive systemic corticosteroid intervention are essential for this type of IFN-α -related autoimmune complication.
PURPOSE: To describe a case of Vogt-Koyanagi-Harada disease (VKH) presenting in a hepatitis C patient after interferon-alpha (IFN-α) and ribavirin treatment. METHODS: A retrospective review of our patient and a review of the published literature. RESULTS: A 59 year-old man developed VKH after the four months of IFN-α and ribavirin therapy for hepatitis C. The patient's VKH was controlled by systemic corticosteroids. The relationship between VKH and IFN-α is discussed based on the published literature. CONCLUSIONS:VKH is a rare autoimmune complication triggered by interferon-alpha therapy; the T-cell modulatory properties of IFN-α possibly contribute to this association. Early diagnosis of VKH and aggressive systemic corticosteroid intervention are essential for this type of IFN-α -related autoimmune complication.