Dobmeier, Matthias and Fric, E. and Frank, S. and Wolfersdorf, M. (2000) Schizophrenic psychosis: A contraindication for treatment of hepatitis C with interferon alpha? PHARMACOPSYCHIATRY, 33 (2). pp. 72-74. ISSN 0176-3679
Full text not available from this repository. (Request a copy)Abstract
Depressive or psychotic symptoms are a well known side-effect of interferon alpha (INF-alpha). Therefore, the questions arises whether a chronic psychosis should be considered a contraindication for the treatment of active hepatitis C with INF-alpha. We report on a 38-year-old woman with a chronic schizophrenic psychosis, who acquired chronic aggressive hepatitis C. Considering the young age of the woman, the potential risk of developing a hepatocellular carcinoma and the result of the liver biopsy, treatment with interferon alpha 2b (3 x 5 million IU/week) was started. The patient was seen three times a week, her psychiatric condition was monitored using the positive and negative symptoms score (PANSS). No signs of psychotic or depressive symptoms appeared during INF-alpha therapy. During the first 6 months the liver enzymes dropped slowly but the virus load was increasing. After adding ribavirin to the therapy, the liver enzymes dropped again, and the PCR carried out 9 months after initiation and 6 months after the end of the 12 months INF-alpha treatment did not detect any virus RNA. This positive result should encourage prospective studies including patients with these two diagnoses on whether patients benefit from INF-alpha.
| Item Type: | Article |
|---|---|
| Uncontrolled Keywords: | THERAPY; |
| Subjects: | 600 Technology > 610 Medical sciences Medicine |
| Divisions: | Medicine > Lehrstuhl für Psychiatrie und Psychotherapie |
| Depositing User: | Dr. Gernot Deinzer |
| Date Deposited: | 31 May 2022 15:05 |
| Last Modified: | 31 May 2022 15:05 |
| URI: | https://pred.uni-regensburg.de/id/eprint/42803 |
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