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- Title
Retinal Complications with Elevated Circulating Plasma C5a Associated with Interferon-α Therapy for Chronic Active Hepatitis C.
- Authors
Sugano, Shigeo; Yanagimoto, Masako; Suzuki, Tokuya; Sato, Megumi; Onmura, Hiroki; Aizawa, Hideki; Makino, Hiroyuki
- Abstract
Retinal hemorrhage is a complication of interferon therapy of unknown pathogenesis. We report two chronic active hepatitis C patients who developed retinal hemorrhage and/or cotton wool patches during interferon-a therapy 4 and 12 wk after beginning treatment. At the time of the hemorrhage, plasma-activated complement 5, a known potent intravascular aggregator of granulocytes, increased to 54 ng/ml in one patient and to 29 ng/ml in the other patient. When the hemorrhage resolved, it decreased to under 5 ng/ml. Our cases suggest that complement activation occurs in patients treated with interferon-a and that activation of complement 5 can lead to retinal capillary infarction and retinal hemorrhage. High levels of activated complement 5 may predict retinal artery infarction or perhaps microvascular emboli in the other organs.
- Subjects
HEPATITIS C; RETINA; HEMORRHAGE; INTERFERONS; THERAPEUTICS
- Publication
American Journal of Gastroenterology (Springer Nature), 1994, Vol 89, Issue 11, p2054
- ISSN
0002-9270
- Publication type
Article