Abstract
Background
The significance of retinopathy during triple therapy with telaprevir is uncertain.
Methods
Ophthalmologic examination was done prospectively before and every month during the therapy in 95 CHC patients.
Results
Retinopathy was found in 46 (48.4 %), and the specialists recommended discontinuation of the therapy in 9 (9.5 %). Such lesions may develop as adverse effects by telaprevir, since the lesions disappeared following discontinuation of telaprevir in a 65-year-old man, in whom both pegylated-interferon (Peg-IFN) and ribavirin were continued, and reappeared when he took telaprevir again by his decision. Multivariate analysis revealed that interleukin 28B single-nucleotide polymorphism (IL28B SNP) and anemia development during the therapy were independent factors associating retinopathy.
Conclusion
Ophthalmologic examinations should be done carefully during triple therapy, since the incidence was higher than that in previous Peg-IFN therapy, and lesions may develop as adverse effects by telaprevir, but not by Peg-IFN, especially in those showing preferable IL28B SNPs allele and/or anemia during the therapy.
References
Kumada H, Toyota J, Okanoue T, et al. Telaprevir with peginterferon and ribavirin for treatment-naive patients chronically infected with HCV of genotype 1 in Japan. J Hepatol. 2012;56:78–84.
Hayashi N, Okanoue T, Tsubouchi H, et al. Efficacy and safety of telaprevir, a new protease inhibitor, for difficult-to-treat patients with genotype 1 chronic hepatitis C. J Viral Hepat. 2012;19:e134–42.
Chayama K, Hayes CN, Ohishi W, et al. Treatment of chronic hepatitis C virus infection in Japan: update on therapy and guidelines. J Gastroenterol. 2013;48:1–12.
Vujosevic S, Tempesta D, Noventa F, et al. Pegylated interferon-associated retinopathy is frequent in hepatitis C virus patients with hypertension and justifies ophthalmologic screening. Hepatology. 2012;56:455–63.
Okuse C, Yotsuyanagi H, Nagase Y, et al. Risk factors for retinopathy associated with interferon alpha-2b and ribavirin combination therapy in patients with chronic hepatitis C. World J Gastroenterol. 2006;12:3756–9.
Tanaka Y, Nishida N, Sugiyama M, et al. Genome-wide association of IL28B with response to pegylated interferon-α and ribavirin therapy for chronic hepatitis C. Nature Genet. 2009;41:1105–9.
Ochi H, Maekawa T, Abe H, et al. ITPA polymorphism affects ribavirin-induced anemia and outcomes of therapy: a genome-wide study of Japanese HCV virus patients. Gastroenterology. 2010;139:1190–7.
Fujiwara K, Mochida S, Matsuo S, et al. Randomized control trial of interferon-β injections at 12-h intervals as a therapy for chronic hepatitis C. Hepatol Res. 1998;12:240–51.
Fujimori K, Mochida S, Matsui A, et al. Possible mechanisms of elevation of serum transaminase levels during interferon-β therapy in chronic hepatitis C patients. J Gastroenterol. 2002;37:40–6.
Mawatari H, Yoneda M, Kirikoshi H, et al. Thrombocytopenia is more severe in patients with chronic hepatitis C than in patients with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease. J Gastroenterol. 2012;47:606–7.
Kobayashi T, Hige S, Terashita K, et al. Anemia and thrombocytosis induced by ribavirin monotherapy in patients with chronic hepatitis C. J Gastroenterol. 2012;47:1228–37.
Lotrich FE, Loftis JM, Ferrell RE, et al. IL28B polymorphisms is associated with both side effects and clearance of hepatitis C during interferon-alpha therapy. J Interf Cytokine Res. 2011;31:331–6.
Sommereyns C, Paul S, Staeheli P, et al. IFN-lambda is expressed in a tissue-dependent fashion and primarily acts on epithelial cells in vivo. PLoS Pathog. 2008;4:e1000017.
Nagaoka T, Sato E, Takahashi A, et al. Retinal circulatory change associated with interferon-induced retinopathy in patients with hepatitis C. Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci. 2007;48:368–75.
Conflict of interest
Satoshi Mochida received research grants from Bristol-Myers Squibb Company, Janssen Pharmaceutical K.K., Chugai Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd., and lecture fees from MSD, Toray Industries, Bristol-Myers Squibb Company, and Mitsubishi Tanabe Pharma.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Sugawara, K., Inao, M., Nakayama, N. et al. Telaprevir-induced, but not pegylated interferon-associated, retinopathy as a noteworthy adverse effect during triple antiviral therapy in patients with chronic hepatitis C. J Gastroenterol 49, 363–368 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00535-013-0889-8
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00535-013-0889-8