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Investigation of hyperuricemia during pegylated‐interferon‐α2b plus ribavirin combination therapy in patients with chronic hepatitis C
Author(s) -
YAMASHITA Naoki,
ENJOJI Munechika,
KOTOH Kazuhiro,
KATO Masaki,
UEDA Akihiro,
HORIKAWA Yuki,
TAJIRI Hirotaka,
HIGUCHI Nobito,
KINUKAWA Naoko,
NAKAMUTA Makoto,
TAKAYANAGI Ryoichi
Publication year - 2008
Publication title -
journal of digestive diseases
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.684
H-Index - 51
eISSN - 1751-2980
pISSN - 1751-2972
DOI - 10.1111/j.1443-9573.2007.00316.x
Subject(s) - medicine , ribavirin , pegylated interferon , hyperuricemia , chronic hepatitis , combination therapy , pharmacology , virology , gastroenterology , uric acid , virus
OBJECTIVE: Hyperuricemia has been reported as being an adverse effect of pegylated‐interferon‐α2b (Peg‐IFNα2b) and ribavirin combination therapy for chronic hepatitis C and hyperuricemic changes occur in some patients during the therapy. However, detailed investigation of the elevation of uric acid has not been carried out previously. The incidence and mechanism of hyperuricemia were investigated in this study. METHODS: The data of 50 patients with chronic hepatitis C who had been treated with Peg‐IFNα2b and ribavirin combination therapy or pegylated‐interferon‐α2a monotherapy for more than 24 weeks were analyzed. The effects of these treatments were evaluated clinically by the serum uric acid level and its urinary excretion rates. RESULTS: In patients with pegylated‐interferon‐α2a monotherapy, no significant elevation was shown either in serum uric acid concentrations or excretion rates. On the other hand, serum uric acid concentrations were significantly elevated during the combination therapy, reaching ≥7.0 mg/L in men and ≥6.5 mg/L in women in 15% of patients. The urinary uric acid excretion rate was also elevated significantly. CONCLUSION: Peg‐IFNα2b plus ribavirin combination therapy induced an elevation of uric acid concentration, although the elevated levels were still within normal limit in many cases. It may be that ribavirin plays a leading role in its elevation and other factors may also be involved.