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Pneumonitis during Interferon
and/or Herbal Drug Therapy in Patients with Chronic Active
Hepatitis.
Ishizaki T.; Sasaki, F.; Ameshima, S.; Shiozaki, K.;
Takahashi, H.; Abe, Y.; Ito, S.; Kuriyama, M.; Nakai, T.;
Kitagawa, M. "Pneumonitis during Interferon and/or Herbal
Drug Therapy in Patients with Chronic Active Hepatitis."
European Respiratory Journal, December 1996;9(12):2691-2696.
According to the authors' abstract of an article published
in European Respiratory Journal, "We report four cases of
acute pneumonitis due either to interferon, or a herbal drug,
'Sho-saikoto', or both in combination, in patients with
chronic active hepatitis, focusing on its pathogenesis and
response to prednisolone therapy. These cases shared common
clinical features: fever, dry cough, dyspnoea. hyperaemia.
diffuse infiltrates both on chest radiography and chest
computed tomography, restrictive pulmonary functional
impairment, and alveolitis on examination of transbronchial
lung biopsy, all of which suggest acute interstitial
pneumonia. Furthermore, lymphocytosis was observed in
association with the dominant CD8[+] T-cell subset in
bronchoalveolar lavage fluid. A lymphocyte stimulation test
using peripheral blood was positive to interferon in one case
and to Sho-saikoto in another. All patients responded to oral
prednisolone therapy. Peripheral soluble interleukin-2
receptor levels decreased in parallel with improvement in the
clinical course. All patients were free of symptoms with a
follow-up of 1-3 yrs. We conclude that interferon- and/or
Sho-saikoto-induced acute pneumonitis may be due to allergic-immunological
mechanisms rather than toxicity, and that peripheral levels of
soluble interleukin-2 receptor appear to be good markers of
disease activity." The corresponding author for this
study is: T Ishizaki, Fukui Med Sch, Dept Internal Med,
Matsuoka. Fukui 9101 I, Japan. For subscription information
for this journal contact the publisher. Munksgaard Int Publ
Ltd, 35 Norre Sogade, PO Box 2148, DK-1016 Copenhagen,
Denmark.
Source: Hepatitis Weekly, 01/27/97, p20, 2/5p.
Item Number: 9702092873
 
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