Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

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

  • Case Report
  • Published:
Digestive Diseases and Sciences Aims and scope Submit manuscript

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.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Trepo C, Thivolet J: Hepatitis associated antigen and periarteritis nodosa (PAN). Vox Sang 19:410–411, 1970

    Google Scholar 

  2. Nagy J, Baitai G, Brasch H, Süle T, Ambrus M, Déak G, Hámori A: The role of hepatitis B surface antigen in the pathogenesis of glomerulopathies. Clin Nephrol 12:109–116, 1979

    Google Scholar 

  3. Levo Y, Gorovic PD, Kassab JH, Zucker-Franklin D, Franklin EC: Association between hepatitis B virus and essential mixed cryoglobulinemia. N Engl J Med 296:1501–1504, 1977

    Google Scholar 

  4. Fernandez R, McCarty DJ: The arthritis of viral hepatitis. Ann Intern Med 74:207–211, 1971

    Google Scholar 

  5. Inman RD: Rheumatic manifestations of hepatitis B virus infection. Semin Arthritis Rheum 11:406–420, 1982

    Google Scholar 

  6. Wands JR, Alpert E, Isselbacher KJ: Arthritis associated with chronic active hepatitis: Complement activation and characterization of circulating immune complexes. Gastroenterology 69:1286–1291, 1975

    Google Scholar 

  7. Karayiannis P, Fowler MJF, Lok ASF, Greenfield C, Monjardino S, Thomas HC: Detection of serum HBV DNA by molecular hybridisation in correlation with HBeAg/anti-HBe status, racial origin, liver histology and hepatocellular carcinoma. J Hepatol 1:99–106, 1985

    Google Scholar 

  8. Scully LJ, Shein R, Karyainnis P, McDonald JA, Thomas HC: Lymphoblastoid interferon therapy of chronic HBV infection: A comparison of 12 versus 24 weeks of thrice weekly treatment. J Hepatol 5:51–58, 1987

    Google Scholar 

  9. Onion DK, Crumpacker CS, Gilliland BC: Arthritis of hepatitis associated with Australia antigen. Ann Intern Med 75:29–33, 1971

    Google Scholar 

  10. Pease C, Keat A: Arthritis as the main or only symptom of hepatitis B infection. Postgrad Med J 61:545–547, 1985

    Google Scholar 

  11. Pignatelli M, Waters J, Lever AML, Brown D, Iwarson S, Schaff B, Gerety R, Thomas HC: HLA class I antigens on hepatocyte membrane: Increased expression during interferon therapy of chronic hepatitis B. Hepatology 6:349–353, 1986

    Google Scholar 

  12. Alpert E, Isselbacher KH, Schur PH: The pathogenesis of arthritis associated with viral hepatitis. N Engl J Med 285:185–189, 1971

    Google Scholar 

  13. Wands JR, Mann E, Alpert E, Isselbacher KJ: The pathogenesis of arthritis associated with acute hepatitis B surface antigen positive hepatitis. J Clin Invest 55:930–936, 1975

    Google Scholar 

  14. Schumacher HR, Gall EP: Arthritis in acute hepatitis and chronic active hepatitis. Pathology of the synovial membrane with evidence for the presence of Australia Antigen in synovial membranes. Am J Med 75:655–663, 1974

    Google Scholar 

  15. Perrillo RP: Treatment of chronic hepatitis B with interferon: Experience in Western countries. Semin Liver Dis 9:240–248, 1989

    Google Scholar 

  16. Trepo C, Ouzan D, Delmont J, Tremisi J: Supériorité d'un nouveau traitement étiopathogénique curateur des périartérites noueuses induites par le virus de l'hépatite B grâce à l'association corticothérapie brève, vidarabine, échanges plasmatiques. Presse Med 30:1527–1531, 1988

    Google Scholar 

  17. Lisker-Melman M, Webb D, Di Bisceglie AM, Kassianides C, Martin P, Rustgi V, Waggoner JG, Park Y, Hoofnagle JH: Glomerulonephritis caused by chronic hepatitis B virus infection: Treatment with recombinant human alphainterferon. Ann Intern Med 111:479–483, 1989

    Google Scholar 

  18. Brook MG, Karayiannis P, Thomas HC: Which patients with chronic hepatitis B virus infection will respond to alpha-interferon therapy? A statitical analysis of predictive factors. Hepatology 10:761–763, 1989

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Medicine, Division of Gastroenterology, Ottawa Civic Hospital, 1053 Carling Ave., K1Y 4E9, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada

    Linda J. Scully MD, Peter Karayiannis PhD & Howard C. Thomas MBBS, PhD

  2. Department of Medicine, St. Mary's Hospital Medical School, W2 1NY, London, England

    Linda J. Scully MD, Peter Karayiannis PhD & Howard C. Thomas MBBS, PhD

Authors
  1. Linda J. Scully MD
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Peter Karayiannis PhD
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Howard C. Thomas MBBS, PhD
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Additional information

Dr. Scully was supported by the Medical Research Council of Canada.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Scully, L.J., Karayiannis, P. & Thomas, H.C. Interferon therapy is effective in treatment of hepatitis B-induced polyarthritis. Digest Dis Sci 37, 1757–1760 (1992). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01299871

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01299871

Key Words

Search

Navigation