Late development of diabetes mellitus after interferon-alfa and ribavirin therapy for chronic hepatitis C: a case report.

OBJECTIVE

To report the late development of immune-mediated diabetes mellitus after completion of alfa-interferon therapy for hepatitis C in an Asian patient.

CLINICAL PRESENTATION AND INTERVENTION

A 50-year-old male with chronic hepatitis C received treatment with alfa-interferon and ribavirin for 52 weeks. He developed immune-mediated diabetes mellitus with low C-peptide and positive antiglutamic acid decarboxylase antibody after completion of therapy. The hepatitis C infection was eradicated, but he continued to be diabetic requiring insulin therapy during the follow-up.

CONCLUSION

This report shows thatimmune-mediateddiabetes mellitus can occur as a late complication of alfa-interferon therapy.