1. New Approaches to the Management of Hepatitis and Endocrine Disorders in Cooley's Anemia
- Author
-
Beatrix Wonke, C. E. Jensen, A. V. Hoffbrand, Pierre-Marc Bouloux, and P. T. Telfer
- Subjects
Liver Cirrhosis ,Pediatrics ,medicine.medical_specialty ,Anemia ,medicine.medical_treatment ,Growth ,Endocrine System Diseases ,Antiviral Agents ,General Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology ,Growth hormone deficiency ,chemistry.chemical_compound ,History and Philosophy of Science ,Pregnancy ,Ribavirin ,medicine ,Humans ,Child ,Hepatitis ,Sex Characteristics ,business.industry ,Incidence ,General Neuroscience ,beta-Thalassemia ,Interferon-alpha ,Hepatitis C ,medicine.disease ,Pregnancy Complications ,Growth hormone treatment ,chemistry ,Immunology ,Osteoporosis ,Female ,Ovulation induction ,business - Abstract
Hepatitis C infection is common in patients receiving life-long blood transfusion therapy. Interferon-alpha induces long-term viral clearance in 25-30% of patients suffering from Cooley's anemia. Ribavirin, an orally active guanoside analogue together with interferon-alpha produces a sustained response in up to 40% of patients with cirrhosis, who had previously failed single agent treatment. Growth retardation in iron-overloaded patients is the result of growth hormone deficiency in up to 30% of patients. Height gain can be successfully achieved in these patients with growth hormone treatment. Pregnancy in women with Cooley's anemia is now a reality, and over 100 pregnancies have been documented. Conception may be spontaneous or the result of ovulation induction. Cardiomyopathy and diabetes require careful assessment in these patients before a decision is made to treat with gonadotrophins to induce ovulation.
- Published
- 1998