INTERFERON ALPHA ET THYROPATHIES

Alpha interferon therapy has been increasingly used in malignant diseases and more recently in the treatment of chronic hepatitis. Secondary effects on the thyroid gland have been extensively reported and the corresponding review is presented here. Out of 779 patients in the literature, the global rate of thyroid complications is around 11%, mostly in women. In most patients, there is evidence of hypothyroidism, but some cases of hyperthyroidism or of biphasic evolution are noted. In some patients, only abnormal antithyroperoxidase antibodies were detected. No relationship either with the type of alpha interferon or with the dose was noted, but a significant relation existed with pretherapeutic thyroid antibody levels. In our series of 240 patients, 24 cases of thyroid dysfunction were observed, 18 of them remained transient. Therefore, we recommend a systematic survey of TSH and antithyroperoxidase antibody levels before starting and during interferon therapy. This therapy should be withdrawn if thyroid dysfunction is detected.