Re: thyroid and peg/copeg articles??

[Guest guest]

Mel, I found this, Lee

Thyroid Dysfunction in Chronic Hepatitis C Patients Treated with

Interferon/Ribavirin

Some patients with chronic hepatitis C experience thyroid problems,

and thyroid dysfunction may also be a side effect of interferon-

based treatment.

As reported in the June 2006 Journal of Viral Hepatology,

researchers from Taiwan conducted a study to investigate the role of

thyroid auto-antibodies in the development of thyroid dysfunction

among chronic hepatitis C patients receiving interferon plus

ribavirin.

The study enrolled 95 treatment-naïve patients with normal baseline

thyroid hormone levels. They were treated with 6 million units of

interferon-alpha twice weekly plus 1,000-1,200 mg daily ribavirin

for 24 weeks. Thyroid function, anti-thyroglobulin antibodies, and

anti-peroxidase auto-antibodies were measured at enrollment, at the

end of treatment, and six months after completion of therapy.

Results

The percentages of thyroid auto-antibodies were 8.4% at baseline,

11.6% at the end of treatment, and 9.5% six months post-treatment.

14 patients (14.7%) patients developed thyroid dysfunction by the

end of treatment or the six-month post-treatment measurement.

Thyroid dysfunction occurred during treatment in 5 of the 8 patients

(62.5%) with baseline thyroid auto-antibodies, compared with 9 of 87

patients (10.3%) without baseline thyroid auto-antibodies (P =

0.0001).

Among the 14 patients who developed thyroid dysfunction, 4 of 5

individuals (80.0%) with baseline thyroid auto-antibodies recovered

by six months post-treatment, compared with 2 of 8 patients (25%)

without baseline thyroid auto-antibodies (P < 0.05).

Conclusion

The authors concluded thyroid auto-antibodies, present either before

or during interferon plus ribavirin combination therapy, " carry a

high prediction of subsequent thyroid dysfunction. There also exists

difference in the clinical manifestations of thyroid dysfunction in

chronic hepatitis C patients treated with combination therapy. "

8/15/06

Reference

J F Huang, W L Chuang, C Y Dai, and others. The role of thyroid

autoantibodies in the development of thyroid dysfunction in

Taiwanese chronic hepatitis C patients with interferon-alpha and

ribavirin combination therapy. Journal of Viral Hepatitis 13(6): 396-

401. June 2006

>

> Anyone know of any articles on thyroid problems associated with

hepc

> treatment?

> Thanks

> Mel

>