Antiplatelet antibodies in patients with chronic viral hepatitis receiving interferon-alpha.

Background/aims: The aim of this study was to investigate the possible role of interferon-alpha in the development of antiplatelet IgG antibodies in patients with chronic viral hepatitis B or C.

Methodology: Ninety-one consecutive patients with chronic viral hepatitis (51 with chronic hepatitis B and 40 with chronic hepatitis C) were investigated for the presence of antiplatelet IgG antibodies in their serum immediately prior to IFN-alpha therapy and after six months of therapy. The method used was the solid phase red cell adherence test (Immucor, Norcross, USA), which is a sensitive tracer of antiplatelet antibodies. Some of the results were confirmed using an indirect immunofluorescence test for the detection of antiplatelet antibodies

Results: Overall, we found that antiplatelet antibodies were present in 37.54% (19/51) of patients with chronic hepatitis B before IFN-alpha therapy and in 35.29% (18/51) after therapy. Moreover, antiplatelet antibodies were found in 20% (8/40) of patients with chronic hepatitis C before and after IFN-alpha therapy.

Conclusions: Therapy with IFN-alpha did not induce antiplatelet antibodies in patients with chronic viral hepatitis B or C. Thrombocytopenia observed during IFN-alpha therapy in our study was not due to the development of antiplatelet antibodies.