Peginterferon (PEG-IFN) Plus Ribavirin Combination Therapy, but Neither Interferon nor PGE-IFN Alone, Induced Type 1 Diabetes in a Patient with Chronic Hepatitis C

Interferon (IFN) therapies, including IFN, peginterferon (PEG-IFN) and ribavirin (RBV) plus PEG-IFN combination, are widely used for patients with chronic hepatitis C. We encountered a patient with chronic hepatitis C in whom previous IFN or PEG-IFN alone had not induced type 1 diabetes (T1D), while the addition of RBV to PEG-IFN did induce T1D. The patient had HLA types conferring highly susceptibility to T1D. Thus, adding RBV to PEG-IFN may render chronic hepatitis C patients, with T1D-susceptible HLA types, more prone to developing T1D than IFN or PEG-IFN alone. To prevent T1D development, we recommend HLA typing prior to initiating RBV plus PEG-IFN administration.