Abstract:

Hayati Demiraslan, Zeynep Ture, Aysegul Ulu Kılıc The pegylated interferon alpha and ribavirin treatment is well established therapy for hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection. During the treatment alanine aminotransferase (ALT) lare may be observed rarely. A 51-year-old female receiving pegylated interferon and ribavirin therapy for HCV infection, complained nausea, vomit- ing in seventh week of the therapy, and her ALT level was detected over 20 times above the normal level. Hepatitis B sur- face antigen, anti-nuclear antibody, anti-mitochondrial antibody, anti-double stranded DNA antibody and anti-hepatitis A virus IgM antibody were negative, and thyroid stimulating hormone was normal. HCV RNA level was 424 IU/ml. PEG IFN and ribavirin therapy was interrupted for three weeks, after liver enzyme level was detected less than 100U/L, the treatment was resumed. The patient was followed up for 2 months, ALT lare was not observed. In conclusion, we present a rare case with ALT lare, while receiving pegylated interferon and ribavirin therapy for chronic HCV infection.

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