FW: INFO: Interferon-treated hepatitis C patients likely to experience retinopathy

[Guest guest]

I

had a problem with my eyes while on tx & the doc made me stop until I could

get to the ophthalmologist. I ended up a couple days behind on my shot.

Can’t remember if this is what he was worried about.

Do not

ask God to guide your footsteps if you are not willing to move your feet!

De

-----Original Message-----

From:

GAHepCSupport [mailto:GAHepCSupport ] On Behalf Of PeachStatePam

Contact: Elinore Tibbetts

etibbettsarvo (DOT) org

240-221-2923

Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology

Interferon-treated hepatitis C patients likely to experience retinopathy

Rockville, Md. -- Persons with chronic hepatitis C being treated with

Interferon (IFN) are at risk of developing retinopathy as early as two weeks

into treatment according to the results of a new study published in the January

2007 issue of Investigative Ophthalmology & Visual Science (IOVS).

Researchers from the Departments of Ophthalmology and Hepatology at Asahikawa

Medical College in Japan measured the changes in vessel diameter and blood

velocity and calculated retinal blood flow (RBF) and wall shear rate (WSR)

using a laser Doppler velocimetry in 36 patients with chronic hepatitis C who

were treated with high-dose IFN. Sixty-one percent of these patients developed

asymptomatic retinopathy, including retinal hemorrhage and cotton-wool spots,

during treatment. Retinopathy was first diagnosed two to 16 weeks after the

start of treatment and resolved at the end of treatment in all but nine

patients.

Of these patients, all experienced an increase in blood velocity, RBF, and WSR.

The increased RBF was associated with anemia induced by IFN treatment. The

increase in WSR in patients with retinopathy especially indicates that

endothelial dysfunction may play an important role in IFN-induced retinopathy

as shear stress should be constant under physiologic conditions.

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Read this article online at http://www.iovs.org/cgi/content/full/48/1/368.

IOVS is published by the Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology

(ARVO). For more information, logon to www.IOVS.org.

ARVO is a membership organization of more than 11,500 eye and vision

researchers from over 70 countries. Established in 1928, the Association

encourages and assists its members and others in research, training,

publication and dissemination of knowledge in vision and ophthalmology. ARVO's

headquarters are located in Rockville, Md. For more information

about ARVO, logon to www.arvo.org.

http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2007-01/afri-ihc010307.php