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Eradication of hepatitis C virus could improve immunological status and pyoderma gangrenosum‐like lesions
Author(s) -
Kondo Yasuteru,
Iwata Tomoaki,
Haga Takahiro,
Kimura Osamu,
Ninomiya Masashi,
Kakazu Eiji,
Kogure Takayuki,
Morosawa Tatsuki,
Aiba Setsuya,
Shimosegawa Tooru
Publication year - 2014
Publication title -
hepatology research
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.123
H-Index - 75
eISSN - 1872-034X
pISSN - 1386-6346
DOI - 10.1111/hepr.12102
Subject(s) - pyoderma gangrenosum , medicine , ribavirin , hepatitis c virus , immunology , immune system , hepatitis c , pyoderma , pegylated interferon , virus , cd19 , virology , dermatology , disease
Hepatitis C virus ( HCV ) can affect immune cells and induce various kinds of immune‐related diseases including pyoderma gangrenosum. We experienced a difficult‐to‐treat case of pyoderma gangrenosum‐like lesions in a patient with HCV infection. The patient was treated with pegylated interferon ( PEG IFN )‐α‐2b and ribavirin ( RBV ) therapy and achieved a sustained virological response. Before the eradication of HCV , the frequency of T ‐helper 17 cells was remarkably high in comparison to chronic hepatitis C patients without extrahepatic immune‐related diseases. Moreover, we could detect negative and positive strand‐specific HCV RNA in the CD19 + B lymphocytes and CD4 + T lymphocytes. However, after the eradication of HCV , the immunological status became normal and the pyoderma gangrenosum‐like lesions became stable without immunosuppressive therapy. Here, we report a sequential immunological analysis during PEG IFN / RBV therapy and the beneficial effect of HCV eradication in difficult‐to‐treat pyoderma gangrenosum‐like lesions.