High prevalence of anti-phospholipid antibodies and anti-thyroglobulin antibody in patients with hepatitis C virus infection treated with interferon-alpha.

Abstract

The pathogenesis of production and clinical significance of aPL, ATG/aTPO in this clinical setting are unclear, but immunological disturbances, such as the effects of HCV infection and/or IFN treatment, were considered to be a possibility. Further investigation is needed to clarify whether HCV/aPL- and/or aTG/aTPO-positive patients treated with IFN might develop aPL-associated complications and/or autoimmune disease(es), in the future and to confirm whether IFN treatment justifies the outcome in this clinical setting.