Mycophenolate mofetil may induce prolonged severe anemia during pegylated-interferon/ribavirin/simeprevir therapy in liver transplant recipients

Clin J Gastroenterol. 2015 Jun;8(3):156-61. doi: 10.1007/s12328-015-0570-2. Epub 2015 May 12.

Abstract

Aim: Pegylated-interferon/ribavirin/simeprevir (PEG-IFN/RBV/SMV) combination therapy is widely used for hepatitis C virus (HCV) treatment after liver transplantation (LT). Here, we observed two cases of extended severe anemia during PEG-IFN/RBV/SMV therapy for HCV serological type 1 re-infected after LT. Immunosuppressants consisted of tacrolimus and mycophenolate mofetil (MMF). Case 1 was a 65-year-old-woman treated with PEG-IFN/RBV/SMV therapy and 500 mg MMF/day 9 months after LT. Her serum hemoglobin (Hb) level decreased from 10 to 8.4 mg/dL on day 25. Despite discontinuing the PEG-IFN/RBV/SMV treatment on day 32, her Hb level decreased to 5.1 mg/dL on day 40. Case 2 was a 61-year-old-woman started on PEG-IFN/RBV/SMV therapy 20 months after LT. Her serum Hb level decreased from 12.2 to 7.1 mg/dL on day 39. The MMF dose was reduced from 1,500 to 1,000 mg/day, and her Hb level was maintained. Red blood cell transfusions were required in both cases, and anemia persisted for 2 months. These patients had the C/C major type inosine triphosphatase (ITPA) polymorphism. In conclusion, MMF induced severe persistent anemia by co-treatment with IFN/RBV in patients who underwent LT. Thus, the immunosuppressant dose should be chosen carefully for patients with the high-risk ITPA allele.

Publication types

  • Case Reports
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Aged
  • Anemia / chemically induced*
  • Anemia / therapy
  • Antiviral Agents / therapeutic use*
  • Erythrocyte Transfusion
  • Female
  • Hepatitis C, Chronic / drug therapy*
  • Hepatitis C, Chronic / immunology
  • Humans
  • Immunocompromised Host
  • Immunosuppressive Agents / adverse effects*
  • Interferon-alpha / therapeutic use
  • Liver Transplantation*
  • Middle Aged
  • Mycophenolic Acid / adverse effects
  • Mycophenolic Acid / analogs & derivatives*
  • Recurrence
  • Ribavirin / therapeutic use
  • Simeprevir / therapeutic use
  • Tacrolimus / adverse effects

Substances

  • Antiviral Agents
  • Immunosuppressive Agents
  • Interferon-alpha
  • Ribavirin
  • Simeprevir
  • Mycophenolic Acid
  • Tacrolimus