Abrupt onset of type 1 diabetes mellitus during recombinant interferon-alpha 2b therapy in a patient with chronic hepatitis B

• Published in: World journal of gastroenterology : WJG 2008-08, Vol.14 (29), p.4713-4715
• Main Authors: Lv, Yuan-Yuan, Shi, Bing-Yin, Guo, Hui
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adult; Case Report; China; Diabetes Mellitus, Type 1 - chemically induced; Diabetes Mellitus, Type 1 - diagnosis; Female; Hepatitis B, Chronic - drug therapy; Humans; Interferon alpha-2; Interferon-alpha - adverse effects; Interferon-alpha - therapeutic use; Recombinant Proteins - adverse effects; Recombinant Proteins - therapeutic use; Risk Factors; 干扰素; 糖尿病; 自身免疫型疾病; 自身抗体
• ISSN: 1007-9327; 2219-2840
• DOI: 10.3748/wjg.14.4713

We describe a case of a 33-year-old female patient with chronic hepatitis B who developed type 1 diabetes mellitus （DM） after a 13-mo period of treatment with recombinant human interferon-alpha （IFN-α） 2b. The patient presented with polydipsia, polyuria, hypergly-cemia, diabetic ketoacidosis, combined with C-peptide secretion defi ciency and positive islet cell autoantibody （ICAb）. IFN-α 2b treatment was terminated and in-stead insulin treatment was initiated. Five months after cessation of the recombinant human IFN-α 2b therapy, the patient remained insulin-dependent. Her serum HBV DNA became negative and serum transaminase returned to the normal level after a 10-mo period of IFN therapy. Type 1 DM induced by IFN-α is relatively rare in patients with chronic hepatitis B. We should pay more attention to patients on IFN-α therapy to avoid destruction of pancreatic beta cells. This is the first case report from China.