Interferon therapy is effective in treatment of hepatitis B-induced polyarthritis

A patient with acute hepatitis B developed significant polyarthritis. After 10 months of observation he had not cleared the virus and continued to have symptomatic joint problems, with migratory polyarthralgia, tenosynovitis of the left wrist, and a large knee effusion. Hepatitis B surface antigen (...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Digestive diseases and sciences 1992-11, Vol.37 (11), p.1757-1760
Main Authors: SCULLY, L. J, KARAYIANNIS, P, THOMAS, H. C
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Acute Disease
Adult
Arthritis, Infectious - diagnosis
Arthritis, Infectious - etiology
Arthritis, Infectious - therapy
Biological and medical sciences
Hepatitis B - complications
Hepatitis B - diagnosis
Hepatitis B - therapy
Humans
Immunomodulators
Interferon-alpha - administration & dosage
Male
Medical sciences
Pharmacology. Drug treatments
Remission Induction
Tenosynovitis - diagnosis
Tenosynovitis - etiology
Tenosynovitis - therapy
Time Factors
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Summary:A patient with acute hepatitis B developed significant polyarthritis. After 10 months of observation he had not cleared the virus and continued to have symptomatic joint problems, with migratory polyarthralgia, tenosynovitis of the left wrist, and a large knee effusion. Hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) and hepatitis B virus (HBV) DNA levels were measured in the synovial fluid and were found to be virtually identical to serum levels, indicating the potential infectivity of this fluid. The patient was treated with 14 weeks of thrice-weekly lymphoblastoid interferon and cleared all markers of viral replication. The arthritis resolved with the disappearance of measurable HBsAg. Interferon may be effective therapy for this disorder.
ISSN:0163-2116
1573-2568
DOI:10.1007/BF01299871