Gene/Protein Disease Symptom Drug Enzyme Compound
Pivot Concepts:   Target Concepts:
Query: UMLS:C0019163 (hepatitis B)
 38,309 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

In recent years, interferon-alpha has become widely used for systemic therapy of tumours and infectious diseases. Well-known cutaneous side effects include dry skin, pruritus and hair loss. Since 1986, 17 patients with renal cell carcinoma, malignant melanoma, hepatitis B and C, carcinoid syndrome and hairy cell leukemia have been reported in whom psoriasis with or without psoratic B joint involvement was induced or exacerbated by systemic interferon-alpha therapy. In these patients, the drug was discontinued because of the severity of the psoriatic symptoms induced. The psoriatic lesions then resolved in nearly all patients within 2 weeks to 6 months, but in 10 of 22 patients treated with interferon-alpha specifically for psoriasis exacerbation was reported. We report three new cases of interferon-alpha-induced psoriasis. The patients were treated with the drug for HIV-associated Kaposi's sarcoma, renal cell carcinoma, and hepatitis C. We conclude that interferon-alpha can provoke psoriatic skin and joint symptoms, especially when additional precipitating factors are involved. In patients in whom such risks are present careful consideration of the benefit/risk ratio and concomitant antipsoriatic treatment are essential if interferon-alpha therapy is to be continued.
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PMID:[Interferon-alpha-induced psoriasis vulgaris]. 886 56

Certain HIV drugs have significant side effects. There have been reports from Europe that some hemophiliacs using protease inhibitors suffered from spontaneous bleeding. Clofazimine, sold as Lamprene, has been shown to cause harm when used with clarithromycin and ethambutol to treat MAC. Lamprene may cause internal bleeding, nausea, diarrhea, dizziness, drowsiness, and dry skin. Results of a Taiwanese trial of thymosin-alpha indicate that it did not help treat Hepatitis B in a statistically significant way. NAC, an antioxidant, may increase glutathione levels and indirectly increase survival.
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PMID:Pot shots. 1136 15