Antimitochondrial antibody serocoversion post-liver transplant during hepatitis C treatment with peginterferon α, ribavirin and telaprevir

Abstract

Pegylated interferon alpha (PEG-IFN α), a key component of chronic hepatitis C therapy, has been linked to the development of auto-antibodies and autoimmune disease. We report the first case of antimitochondrial antibody (AMA) seroconversion during PEG-INF α based therapy after liver.1–4 transplantation. A fiftyseven year-old man five months after liver transplantation was initiated on hepatitis C triple therapy with PEG-INF α, ribavirin and telaprevir. He had failed previous PEG-IFN α and ribavirin 12 years pre-transplant and his AMA remained negative pre-transplant. After twelve weeks of antiviral therapy, he developed elevated liver enzyme tests associated with an AMA seroconversion to seropositivity. A liver biopsy failed to show histological evidence of primary biliary cirrhosis or graft rejection. He was initiated on urseodeoxy-cholic acid with subsequent improvement of his liver enzymes. This case demonstrates that despite adequate immunosuppression, AMA seroconversion may occur post-transplant during interferon-based therapy. As AMA seroconversion did not occur during the pre-transplant PEG-IFN therapy, we speculate that donor allograft antigens in combination with PEG-IFN may have been a factor in the post-transplant seroconversion.

Keywords

• Peginterferon
• Hepatitis C
• Liver transplantation
• Antimitochondrial antibody
• Seroconversion