HAEMATOLOGICAL ADVERSE EFFECTS OF INTERFERON AND
RIBAVIRIN TREATMENT IN PATIENTS WITH CHRONIC C VIRUS
HEPATITIS
CITTO IULIAN TAISESCU¹#*, GABRIELA ILIESCU²#, OANA TAISESCU³#, ANCA PREDESCU4#,
ANA MARINA ANDREI5#, BOGDAN CĂTĂLIN¹#, CRISTIAN SILOȘI6#, VIOREL BICIUȘCĂ7#
¹Department of Physiology, University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 2 Petru Rareș, 200349, Craiova, Romania
²Clinical Laboratory, County Clinical Emergency Hospital Craiova, 1 Tabaci, 200642, Craiova, Romania
³Department of Anatomy, University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 2 Petru Rareș, 200349, Craiova, Romania
4Clinical Laboratory, Clinical Hospital of Neuropsychiatry Craiova, 99 Calea Bucureşti, 200473, Craiova, Romania
5Department of Semiology, University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 2 Petru Rareș, 200349, Craiova, Romania
6Department of Surgery, University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 2 Petru Rareș, 200349, Craiova, Romania
7Department of Semiology, University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 2 Petru Rareș, 200349, Craiova, Romania
*corresponding author: taisescu@yahoo.com
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Abstract:
Haematological abnormalities were frequently found in chronic C hepatitis virus infection, but especially as complications of
interferon-based antiviral therapy. The study of hematologic adverse reactions was initiated on a group of 30 patients with
chronic hepatitis C, hospitalized in the IInd Clinic Medical Emergency Hospital Craiova, monitored and treated with
peginterferon alfa-2b (PEG-IFN), 1.5 μg/kgbw./week plus ribavirin (RBV) 1000-1200 mg/day for 12 months, within four
years. The haemoglobin level decreased significantly when combining IFN with RBV. RBV induces anaemia, and in addition
IFN inhibits the activity of hematopoietic bone marrow. Erythrocyte morphology provided information on viral activity,
modifying with liver lesion progression and bone marrow infection, and the low number of reticulocytes confirmed both the
toxic mechanism of IFN and a low regenerating bone marrow capacity.

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