Abstract
Mild to moderate autoimmune thrombocytopenia (AITP) is a common finding in patients receiving interferon-based antiviral treatment, due to bone marrow suppression. Here we report the case of a patient with chronic genotype 1b hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection treated with pegylated-interferon alpha-2a, ribavirin and telaprevir for 24 wk; the patient developed severe AITP three weeks after treatment withdrawal. We performed a systematic literature search in order to review all published cases of AITP related to HCV antiviral treatment. To our knowledge, this is the second case of AITP observed after antiviral treatment withdrawal. In most published cases AITP occurred during treatment; in fact, among 24 cases of AITP related to interferon-based antiviral treatment, only one occurred after discontinuation. Early diagnosis of AITP is a key factor in order to achieve an early interferon discontinuation; in the era of new direct antiviral agents those patients have to be considered for interferon-free treatment regimens. Prompt prescription of immuno-suppressant treatment (i.e., corticosteroids, immunoglobulin infusion and even rituximab for unresponsive cases) leads to favourable prognosis in most of cases. Physicians using interferon-based treatments should be aware that AITP can occur both during and after treatment, specially in the new era of interferon-free antiviral treatment. Finally, in the case of suspected AITP, presence of anti-platelet antibodies should be checked not only during treatment but also after discontinuation.