Interferon-associated retinopathy risk in patients with diabetes and hypertensive hepatitis C.

Abstract

AIM:

To investigate the association of hypertension and diabetes mellitus (DM) with interferon-associated retinopathy (IAR) risk in chronic hepatitis C (CHC).

METHODS:

Two investigators independently searched PubMed and Embase for eligible articles published prior to December 2013; additional studies were identified by reviewing the bibliographies. Only case-control or cohort studies that evaluated the association between hypertension and/or DM and IAR incidence in CHC patients were included. IAR was characterized by the presence of cotton-wool spots and/or retinal hemorrhage, and was defined as the primary efficacy measure. Pooled relative risks (RRs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were estimated using data extracted from papers based on random-effects models.

RESULTS:

Eight eligible studies were included in the present meta-analysis. The outcomes showed that patients with CHC and hypertension were at higher risk of IAR (48/189 vs 96/455, RR = 1.90; 95%CI: 1.15-3.15, P < 0.05). Patients with DM receiving interferon (IFN)-based therapy for CHC infection may be at higher risk for IAR (18/72 vs 60/256, RR = 1.56, 95%CI: 1.11-2.20, P < 0.05); however, the outcome was not stable. There was no significant difference in IAR risk between genotype-1-infected patients and non-genotype-1-infected patients (RR = 1.09, 95%CI: 0.64-1.87, P > 0.05). Comparable incidences of IAR were also found between patients treated with pegylated interferon (PIFN) α-2a and those treated with PIFN α-2b (RR = 0.84, 95%CI: 0.56-1.24, P > 0.05) and between patients treated with IFN α and those treated with PIFN α (RR = 1.04, 95%CI: 0.72-1.50, P > 0.05).

CONCLUSION:

Patients with hypertension have a higher risk of retinopathy when receiving IFN-based therapy for CHC.

• Authors: Ji-Hua Xue, Hai-Hong Zhu, Jing Wang, Zhi Chen
• Journal: World journal of gastroenterology (World J Gastroenterol) Vol. 20 Issue 23 Pg. 7505-13 (Jun 21 2014) ISSN: 2219-2840 [Electronic] United States
• PMID: 24966622 (Publication Type: Journal Article, Meta-Analysis, Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't, Review)

Chemical References

• Antiviral Agents
• Interferons

Topics

• Antiviral Agents (adverse effects)
• Diabetes Mellitus (diagnosis, epidemiology)
• Diabetic Retinopathy (epidemiology)
• Hepatitis C, Chronic (diagnosis, drug therapy, epidemiology)
• Humans
• Hypertension (diagnosis, epidemiology)
• Hypertensive Retinopathy (epidemiology)
• Incidence
• Interferons (adverse effects)
• Retinal Diseases (chemically induced, epidemiology)
• Risk Assessment
• Risk Factors