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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#

1.Department of Physiology, University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 2 Petru Rareș, 200349, Craiova, Romania
2.Clinical Laboratory, County Clinical Emergency Hospital Craiova, 1 Tabaci, 200642, Craiova, Romania
3.Department of Anatomy, University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 2 Petru Rareș, 200349, Craiova, Romania
4.Clinical Laboratory, Clinical Hospital of Neuropsychiatry Craiova, 99 Calea Bucureşti, 200473, Craiova, Romania
5.Department of Semiology, University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 2 Petru Rareș, 200349, Craiova, Romania
6.Department of Surgery, University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 2 Petru Rareș, 200349, Craiova, Romania
7.Department of Semiology, University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 2 Petru Rareș, 200349, Craiova, Romania

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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.