Exacerbation of Sarcoidosis Following Interferon-alpha Therapy for Chronic Active Hepatitis C.

Chang, Hye Jung; Choi, Eun Hwa; Kim, In Je; Sim, Yun Su; Lee, Jin Hwa; Kim, Tae Hun; Moon, Jin Wook; Chun, Eun Mi; Kim, Yoo Kyung; Sung, Sun Hee; Chang, Jung Hyun

doi:2006.61.3.285

Tuberc Respir Dis > Volume 61(3); 2006 > Article

Case Report

Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases 2006;61(3):285-288.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.4046/trd.2006.61.3.285 Published online September 1, 2006.

Exacerbation of Sarcoidosis Following Interferon-alpha Therapy for Chronic Active Hepatitis C.

Hye Jung Chang, Eun Hwa Choi, In Je Kim, Yun Su Sim, Jin Hwa Lee, Tae Hun Kim, Jin Wook Moon, Eun Mi Chun, Yoo Kyung Kim, Sun Hee Sung, Jung Hyun Chang

¹Department of Internal Medicine, Ewha Women University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea. jinhwalee@ewha.ac.kr
²Department of Radiology, Ewha Women University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.
³Department of Pathology, Ewha Women University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.

Abstract

Interferon alpha is an immunomodulator that is used as an antiviral agent to treat chronic active viral hepatitis C. However, interferon can induce or exacerbate sarcoidosis. We report a case of 42-year-old man with an exacerbation of pulmonary sarcoidosis after the cessation of interferon and ribavirin therapy for chronic hepatitis C. The patient's sarcoidosis improved spontaneously and he continues to be monitored regularly without steroid therapy.

Key Words: Hepatitis C, Interferon, Sarcoidosis