Histological evaluation of liver in two rheumatoid arthritis patients with chronic hepatitis B and C treated with TNF-alpha blockade: case reports

Primal P Kaur; Virginia C Chan; Steven N Berney

doi:10.1007/s10067-008-0896-y

Histological evaluation of liver in two rheumatoid arthritis patients with chronic hepatitis B and C treated with TNF-alpha blockade: case reports

Clin Rheumatol. 2008 Aug;27(8):1069-71. doi: 10.1007/s10067-008-0896-y. Epub 2008 Jun 3.

Authors

Primal P Kaur¹, Virginia C Chan, Steven N Berney

Affiliation

¹ Department of Medicine, Temple University School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA 19140, USA. primal.kaur@tuhs.temple.edu

PMID: 18521652
DOI: 10.1007/s10067-008-0896-y

Abstract

Tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-alpha antagonists successfully modulate the pathogenesis of rheumatoid arthritis (RA). However, little is known about the effect of TNF-alpha blockade on the histology of chronic viral hepatitis. We describe the cases of two patients with RA, one with concurrent chronic hepatitis B virus and the other with hepatitis C virus infection who, as part of their evaluation, underwent liver biopsies while undergoing treatment with a TNF-alpha antagonist.

Publication types

Case Reports

MeSH terms

Adult
Antiviral Agents / therapeutic use
Arthritis, Rheumatoid / complications
Arthritis, Rheumatoid / drug therapy*
Etanercept
Hepatitis B / complications
Hepatitis B / drug therapy
Hepatitis B / pathology*
Hepatitis C / complications
Hepatitis C / drug therapy
Hepatitis C / pathology*
Humans
Immunoglobulin G / therapeutic use*
Male
Middle Aged
Receptors, Tumor Necrosis Factor / therapeutic use*
Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / antagonists & inhibitors*

Substances

Antiviral Agents
Immunoglobulin G
Receptors, Tumor Necrosis Factor
Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha
Etanercept