Type 1 diabetes mellitus caused by treatment with interferon-beta

Intern Med. 2000 Feb;39(2):146-9. doi: 10.2169/internalmedicine.39.146.

Abstract

A 57-year-old man was referred to our outpatient clinic after interferon-beta (IFN-beta) treatment for 7 weeks. While IFN-beta therapy was continued in our outpatient clinic, his blood glucose level increased gradually, and he was admitted to our hospital for hyperglycemia. The patient was prescribed a 1,600-kcal diet and intensive insulin therapy was performed. GAD antibody became positive 15 months after the start of IFN therapy, and disappeared 27 months after the start of IFN therapy. Insulin secretion was depleted and the patient had HLA-DR4, B54, and DRB1*0405. This appears to be a case of type 1 diabetes mellitus induced by administration of IFN-beta alone.

Publication types

  • Case Reports

MeSH terms

  • Antiviral Agents / adverse effects*
  • Biopsy
  • Diabetes Mellitus, Type 1 / blood
  • Diabetes Mellitus, Type 1 / chemically induced*
  • Diabetes Mellitus, Type 1 / drug therapy
  • Hepatitis C, Chronic / drug therapy*
  • Hepatitis C, Chronic / pathology
  • Humans
  • Hypoglycemic Agents / administration & dosage
  • Hypoglycemic Agents / therapeutic use
  • Injections, Subcutaneous
  • Insulin / administration & dosage
  • Insulin / blood
  • Insulin / therapeutic use
  • Interferon-beta / adverse effects*
  • Male
  • Middle Aged

Substances

  • Antiviral Agents
  • Hypoglycemic Agents
  • Insulin
  • Interferon-beta