| Efficacy and Side Effects of Interferon Alpha Treatment in Kidney Transplant Recipients with Chronic Hepatitis C |
| Yong Kyun Kim, M.D., Hye Eun Yoon, M.D., Su Hyun Kim, M.D., Bum Soon Choi, M.D. Si Hyun Bae, M.D., Jong Young Choi, M.D., Seung Kew Yoon, M.D., Chul Woo Yang, M.D. Yong Soo Kim, M.D., Suk Young Kim, M.D. and Byung Kee Bang, M.D. |
| Department of Internal Medicine, College of Medicine, The Catholic University of Korea, Seoul, Korea |
| 원저 : 신장 이식 환자의 만성 C형 간염에서 인터페론 치료 효과와 합병증 |
| 김용균 윤혜은 김수현 최범순 배시현 최종영 윤승규 양철우 김용수 김석영 방병기 |
| 가톨릭대학교 의과대학 내과학교실 |
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| Abstract |
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Purpose : Chronic hepatitis C is a common cause of liver disease in kidney transplant (KT) recipients and lessens the chances of patients and graft survival. We evaluated the efficacy and safety of IFN- αatherapy in KT recipients with chronic hepatitis C.
Method : Ten KT recipients with chronic hepatitis C treated with recombinant IFN-α were enrolled. All the patients had stable graft function, serum alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and positive HCV viremia were raised at the start of treatment. Eight patients received IFN alpha 3 million units three times weekly and 3 of them in combination with ribavirin in dose of 600mg daily. Two patients received pegylated INF-αa90 μg once weekly.
Results : In 7 patients serum ALT levels were normalized and in 6 patients HCV-RNA became negative at the end of treatment. Five patients had sustained remission (persistently negative HCV-RNA) at the end of the follow-up. One patient relapsed at 15 months after discontinuation of INF. During the course of INF therapy one patient died due to sepsis with bowel perforation. Three patients developed graft dysfunction. In all of them graft function returned with discontinuing of INF and steroid therapy. In all of three patients on INF plus ribavirin, hemolytic anemia was developed. After discontinuing of ribavirin hemolytic anemia was recovered and they were treated with INF alone.
Conclusion : IFN-α therapy results in good biochemical response and virological clearance in KT recipients with chronic hepatitis C, but in about one third of the patients, the treatment had to do stopped prematurely due to graft dysfunction.
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| Key Words:
Kidney transplantation, Chronic hepatitis C, Interferon-α |
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